After logo row, Pakatan cannot agree on choice for top post

JOHOR BARU: Pakatan Harapan, already split over the choice of logo to use in the Johor election, is now facing another divisive question –who will be the “poster boy” for the polls? Two former ministers are facing off for the mentri besar’s post if the Opposition wins.

It is learned that PKR wants former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik while DAP and Parti Amanah Negara are rooting for former Pulai MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, a former agriculture and agro-based industry minister.

Salahuddin is also the Amanah deputy president while Maszlee is a former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia stalwart.

A local Pakatan leader said talk about Maszlee being an MB candidate surfaced when he was touted as PKR’s candidate for the Layang-Layang seat in the upcoming state polls.

“However, at this moment, the push is coming only from certain quarters in PKR. DAP and Amanah are hoping for Salahuddin to take the lead and become their poster boy.

“In GE14, Salahuddin was touted as the MB candidate after he won both state and parliamentary seats in Johor, but Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin insisted that (the late) Datuk Osman Sapian from his party be made the MB instead,” the leader said, adding that this time around he expected DAP and Amanah to be vocal on the matter.

The leader said that whoever is named the MB candidate for Pakatan needed to be credible and not be embroiled in any controversies, past or present.

Maszlee had faced much criticism when he was education minister under the Pakatan government and was asked to vacate the post by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said he was surprised to hear that Maszlee’s name had cropped up as a potential MB.

“I am from PKR and this is news to me. Pakatan’s MB candidate needs to have credibility, wisdom and experience in handling the state administration,” he said.

Maszlee, meanwhile, has been coy about the speculation as he is said to be concentrating on winning in the election.

He is expected to be up against Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, a former state executive councillor from Umno, who won the Layang-Layang seat with a slim majority of 364 votes against another PKR candidate in GE14.

Salahuddin has confirmed that he would be defending his Simpang Jeram state seat, and admitted to being aware of talk about him becoming the MB candidate for Pakatan.

“In GE14, I was touted as the frontrunner for the post, but we gave it up to Bersatu although Amanah had more seats than them.

“However, I was then made a minister while Amanah was given two exco positions and got the Johor speaker’s post,” he said when contacted.

In GE14, Bersatu won eight seats while Amanah won nine before the Sheraton Move, led by Muhyiddin, caused the downfall of the state government.

This time around, Salahuddin said he was ready to serve Johor as the MB if the Pakatan leadership wanted it.

Asked about Maszlee as a potential contender for the post, he said he had no problem with the former as they had known each other for some time, adding that each party had its right to name its potential MB candidate.

“We both have our strengths and I consider this as healthy competition,” he said, adding that their focus now was on winning the state election.