(The Star) - Former law lecturer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari (pic) says he has been picked by PKR to contest in the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat in Selangor in the coming general election.

The former International Islamic University Malaysia academic said he had a good chance of winning the seat, which was in his hometown.

“I have been visiting Sabak Bernam for about a year now and we have been getting good response from the people.

“I feel my chances are good since Selangor is being administered by Pakatan Rakyat,” he said after attending a Chinese New Year anniversary dinner organised by PKR in Balik Pulau on Tuesday night.

He was one of the speakers at the event. Other speakers included PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

Dr Abdul Aziz said the current MP, Abdul Rahman Bakri, from Barisan Nasional and his aide Rosli Busro had been sentenced to six years' jail and fined RM400,000 after being found guilty on eight counts of making false claims.

“Taking into account this matter and the current national mood, I think I can win the seat, especially since Abdul Rahman only won by a majority of 1,335 votes in the last general election,” he said.

In the 2008 general election, Abdul Rahman polled 12,055 votes while PKR's Badrulamin Bahron got 10,720.There are about 37,000 voters in the constituency of which 83% are Malays, Chinese (12%) and the rest Indians.

Dr Abdul Aziz was suspended on Oct 19, 2011 for saying that the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's intervention in a church raid controversy was “unusual and inconsistent”.

The suspension was later lifted but he insisted that the accusations made against him be dropped.

Two months later, he decided to leave IIUM on optional retirement, after claiming political interference and that he was resigning “in defence of academic freedom”.

Although he had received offers from PAS and DAP, Dr Abdul Aziz joined PKR in 2011.