BN’s Kukup candidate blazing a trail

TANJUNG PIAI: Datuk Md Othman Yusof sits on the boards of many companies. However, for 11 days, the businessman has taken time off from the boardroom traversing his hometown as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Kukup state seat.

Md Othman (pic), who is also Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV) executive director, has been on a hectic timetable, attending at least eight to 10 programmes a day with the kampung folk.

CGPV is the master developer of the multi-billion ringgit Forest City mega project in Iskandar Puteri.

He is one of the coalition’s 81 candidates in Johor.

Md Othman, who has been the Tanjung Piai Umno division chief since 2004, contested in Kukup in GE12, but stayed out in the last elections.

Known here as “Datuk Moi” he said his main focus was not just to win in Kukup, but to also wrest back the Pekan Nenas seat from the Opposition.

Both seats are in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat.

He said Tanjung Piai, which is known for its seafood and agriculture, had vast potential in tourism.

“We need to build a global brand and market the place, and I’m sure people from Japan and Korea will come here to visit, as we are located in what is known as the tip of mainland Asia,” he said.

On his message to voters, Md Othman asked them to continue supporting Barisan.

“I’m asking the people not to believe everything they read on social media. There are a lot of fake news and lies being spread to discredit Barisan and myself,” he said, adding that the use of social media had changed the political landscape during campaigning in GE14.

Md Othman is facing Suhaizan Kaiat from Amanah and Karim Deraman of PAS.