5 SEATS TO WATCH IN JOHOR
Heavyweights to contest parliamentary seats of Pasir Gudang, Pagoh, Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat and Ayer Hitam
ALL eyes will be on the state’s parliamentary constituencies of Pasir Gudang, Pagoh, Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat and Ayer Hitam.
A total of 232 candidates are vying for 56 state seats and 26 parliamentary seats.
There will be straight fights in six parliamentary and 15 state constituencies. Fifty-five constituencies, including 18 parliamentary ones, will see three-cornered fights.
There will be four-way contests in three parliamentary and two state seats.
The Puteri Wangsa state seat is the only one which will see a fivecornered fight as two independent candidates have entered the fray.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin is contesting the Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat and defending his Permas state seat.
He is up against Johor PKR chairman Hassan Abdul Karim, Johor Pas public complaints centre chairman Ab Aziz Abdullah and former Johor Baru DAP branch chief Sey Jock, who is contesting as an independent, in Pasir Gudang.
The absence of Batu Pahat Umno chief Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who was said to be interested in contesting the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat as an independent, has lowered the “heat” in the constituency.
BN candidate for Batu Pahat Haliza Abdullah is going head-tohead with Pas ulama chief Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed and PKR’s Mohd Rashid Hasnon, a former Penang deputy chief minister.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang is defending his Iskandar Puteri parliamentary seat against Gelang Patah MCA chief Datuk Jason Teoh Sew Hock.
Teoh, a local, said he was accepted by voters who were fed up with Lim, who treated the constituency as a transit point.
Former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is facing off against his former “student” Ismail Mohamed (BN) and Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz (Pas).
Muhyiddin, who is president of the provisionally-dissolved Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, is a five-term Pagoh member of parliament while Ismail won the Bukit Kepong state seat in the last election. Nawfal is Mahfodz’s son.
In Ayer Hitam, the incumbent, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, is being challenged by Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong and Mardi Marwan of Pas.