JOHOR BARU: The focus is now on Johor as two by-elections are set to take place for the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat, after the conclusion of elections in six other states.
The nomination process for these two by-elections will take place tomorrow (Aug 26). The nomination event for the Pulai by-election will be held at Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim here, while the nomination for the Simpang Jeram by-election will be held at Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim, Muar.
A total of 22 sets of nomination forms have been sold so far by the Johor Election Office, to various political parties including Amanah, PAS, Perikatan Nasional (PN), and Independent candidates.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) is expected to face stiff competition in these by-elections, as they field two protégés of the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub in both constituencies. Salahuddin was the previous incumbent of the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat.
Suhaizan Kaiat, former Johor state assembly speaker and political secretary to the late Salahuddin, has been named as the PH candidate for the Pulai parliamentary seat. Suhaizan will be contesting on Amanah’s ticket and will go up against Zulkifli Jaafa, the Perikatan candidate and deputy chief of Pulai Bersatu.
In the Simpang Jeram by-election, PH has chosen Bakri Amanah deputy chief Nazri Abdul Rahman, an engineer, to defend the seat. He will be competing against Dr. Mohd Mazri Yahya, a vascular consultant and endovascular surgeon, who is the candidate fielded by Perikatan.
Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi, president of the Kuala Lumpur Consumer Safety Association (PKPKL), has expressed his intention to run as an Independent candidate for the Pulai parliamentary seat.
The by-elections were called as a result of Salahuddin’s passing on July 23. He held both seats as the elected representative.
Salahuddin, who was also the Amanah deputy president, served as the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister.
In the Johor state election in March last year, Pakatan won 13 seats, while Barisan Nasional (BN) dominated the Johor State Assembly with 40 seats, and Perikatan held three seats.
In the 15th General Election held in November last year, Pakatan secured 15 parliamentary seats, with Amanah winning two of them. Meanwhile, BN won nine seats and PN won two seats. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
