Khaled: Move will give Johor a strong presence in Parliament

SIMPANG RENGGAM: Johor Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has downplayed his move to contest in both parliamentary and state seats.

Instead, he said it should be seen as an opportunity for Johor to have strong representation in Parliament as it strives to become the most developed state in the country.

He added that his move to contest the Permas state seat and Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat was decided by the party leadership.

“This will also help us gain attention (at the federal level) for the needs of all Johor citizens,” he said after presenting land titles to over 200 people at Dewan Muafakat Simpang Renggam yesterday.

Recipients were given either land for agriculture or to build a new house. The Pasir Gudang seat was previously held by Datuk Normala Abdul Samad of Barisan.

Mohamed Khaled advised Barisan candidates in the state to learn and adapt to the areas they will be contesting in as soon as possible.

“Our candidates were selected based on the high expectations the party has of them.

“We hope they will give their best in their respective areas,” he said, adding that the candidates chosen were based on feedback from the people.

If they manage to become the elected representatives, they should work hard to bring development to their constituencies, he said.

Mohamed Khaled also advised incumbents who were dropped not to be discouraged as they could serve the rakyat in other ways.

“This is a normal occurrence in every general election. We need to make changes for the good of the party,” he added.

He said those who were dropped should give their support to the new candidates.