Warisan wants to contest two seats in Johor state election
KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Warisan Sabah is eyeing to contest two state seats under the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency in the Johor state election.
Its president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, said that seat discussions are ongoing and nothing has been decided but hopes to make an announcement soon.
“We have identified some of the candidates for this election. We will later announce the candidates and the seats we will be contesting in. This [Pasir Gudang] area is among the places we are thinking of contesting in. When the time is right, we will announce it,” he said after meeting with Pasir Gudang residents near Pasar Muafakat Sabah in Johor on Thursday.
There are two state seats in the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency, which are Johor Jaya and Permas. DAP’s Liow Cai Tung won Johor Jaya while Che Zakaria of Bersatu won Permas in the 2018 general election.
Shafie added that Warisan did not receive any offer to join any coalition or form an alliance with another party for the Johor
We have identified some of the candidates for this election. We will later announce the candidates and the seats we will be contesting in. This [Pasir Gudang] area is among the places we are thinking of contesting in. When the time is right, we will announce it.
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
election.
“The important thing is for us to ensure the strength and stability of our own house first,” he said when asked if the party was contesting on its own.
Shafie also said he has met many times with the incumbent Puteri Wangsa assemblyman Mazlan Bujang, a former Bersatu state executive councillor and did not discount the latter may join Warisan.
“Yes, he has met with me many times to discuss some matters. If people want to join our party, we cannot stop them,” Shafie said. He added that any Warisan candidate fielded in the Johor state election will be from Johor.
When asked about if the candidates from other parties are required to sign on pledging their allegiance to the party and should remain with Warisan if they win the seats, Shafie said that it has always been Warisan’s way.
“That has been the practice in Warisan for a very long time. For this election, a majority of our candidates will be new faces.”
About 20,000 Sabahans are currently living in Johor, with the majority based in Pasir Gudang, an industrial hub.
The Election Commission has set polling day for the Johor election on March 12, early voting on March 8 and nomination day on Feb 26.