PETALING JAYA: As the 15th general election is around the corner, the whereabouts of former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MPs who had a part to play in Sheraton Move leading to the collapse of Pakatan Harapan government, are back in public limelight.

PKR is fielding heavyweights to contest in parliamentary seats previously won by these defectors in order to regain lost grounds.

Party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is contesting in Tambun parliamentary constituency, advisor Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Bandar Tun Razak, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari in Gombak, and Selangor state executive councilor Rodziah Ismail in Ampang.

Anwar is challenging Tambun incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, a former Perak Menteri Besar in the Pakatan Harapan government.

Faizal, the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) deputy president, was the Youth and Sports Minister under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Dr. Wan Azizah is fielded in Bandar Tun Razak where the incumbent Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar won the seat under PKR ticket.

Kamarudin joined former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Azmin Ali to defect to Bersatu after the Sheraton Move.

Azmin, who insisted he was not a traitor as he joined Bersatu only after he was sacked by PKR, will be challenged by the incumbent Selangor menteri besar in Gombak, of which Azmin is the three-term MP.

Incumbent Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, who won the Ampang seat under PKR ticket for three terms, left PKR for Bersatu with Azmin after Sheraton Move.

She later joined Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) after quitting Bersatu.

Like Zuraida, ex-PKR MP Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu (Segamat) also left Bersatu to join PBM last month.

Other ex-PKR MPs who remain in Bersatu and are likely to defend their seats are Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota), Datuk Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal), Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat), Datuk Ali Biju (Saratok), Datuk Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) and Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Ranau).

After Sheraton Move, Baru Bian (Selangau) left PKR to join Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) in May 2020, while Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Kuala Langat) left in March 2021 to be an independent MP until he joined PBM last month.