Salahuddin tipped for Johor MB post

Opposition planning to have several ‘standby candidates’ should it win big in the state

KLUANG: Parti Amanah Negara deputy president Salahuddin Ayub (pic) is tipped to be a possible candidate for mentri besar should Pakatan Harapan wrest control of Johor in the general election.

It is learnt that the Opposition has started making plans to have several “standby candidates” should Pakatan win big in Johor.

Other candidates are Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin – former Johor mentri besar – and PKR’s Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who, however, recently denied that he was moving into the state.

Muhyiddin, the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president, is said to be gunning for the Gambir state seat.

Salahuddin will be standing in both the Pulai parliamentary seat – where he will face Umno’s Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed – as well as the Simpang Jeram state constituency.

Pakatan sources said the line-up was being prepared to satisfy the requirements of the Johor palace.

“We do not want to give anyone surprises and we also do not want to be faced with any surprises,” said one of the sources.

Asked about being the potential mentri besar candidate, Salahuddin was coy and said: “Let the people vote in Pakatan first.”

This is the second election that Salahuddin will be contesting in Johor. In the 2013 general election, he contested in both Pulai and the state seat of Nusajaya and lost both.

Earlier, Johor Amanah chief Aminolhuda Hassan said it had thoroughly vetted all its 13 candidates in the state to ensure that Barisan Nasional would not win on technical grounds on nomination day on April 28.

He said the party had checked to ensure that the candidates were neither bankrupt nor involved in any criminal case.

“We have also checked the background of the proposers, those supporting the applications of the candidates as well as their witnesses and representatives,” he said.

Barisan had won the Pengerang parliamentary seat in GE11 after the PAS candidate was found to be a bankrupt.

Aminolhuda was speaking to reporters after the unveiling of their 13 candidates who would be contesting in 14 seats in Johor.

The seats are the parliamentary constituencies of Pulai and Parit Sulong, and the Kota Iskandar (formally Nusajaya), Mahkota, Senggarang, Parit Yaani, Pulai Sebatang, Maharani, Sg Jeram (formally Sg Abong), Serom, Kukup, Pasir Raja, Kemelah and Penawar state seats.

Aminolhuda said at least six of their candidates are new faces, with most of them being professionals, including former lecturers.