The Pakatan Harapan candidate pointed out that he remained in PKR rather than follow Azmin out of the party when the latter defected to Bersatu in February 2020.

“If I really was his (Azmin) shadow, I would have followed him everywhere,” he told reporters at the nomination centre here.

Amirudin, who is a PKR vice-president, said he was confident of winning in Gombak and returning the seat to PH.

Amiruddin took over as Selangor menteri besar from Azmin after the latter was made minister in the PH government following the coalition’s win in the last general election (GE14).

In GE14, the former PKR deputy president won the Gombak parliamentary seat with a 48,721-vote majority when contesting on a PH ticket.

Speaking to reporters after the nomination process, Azmin said he was ready to face his “dear friend” Amirudin for the Gombak seat.

“He (Amirudin) is one of the candidates and a dear friend of mine,” he said. “I expect all the candidates to conduct their campaign in accordance with the procedures required by the Election Commission.”

Amirudin and Azmin are in a five-cornered contest for the seat, with Megat Zulkarnain Omardin of Barisan Nasional, Aziz Jamaludin Mohd Tahir (Pejuang), and independent candidate Zulkifli Ahmad.