Johor Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal (centre) with other state coalition leaders after the meeting to discuss the by-election here.
KLUANG: Two former election candidates and a football coach from Bersatu are believed to have been shortlisted by Johor Perikatan Nasional for the Mahkota by-election next month.
One of them is Kluang Bersatu chief Mohamad Nor Lingan, who contested the seat in a four- cornered fight in the Johor election in 2022.
According to a source, Dzulkarnain Alias who contested the Kluang parliamentary seat during the 15th General Election, is another name on the list.
Dzulkarnain lost to DAP’s Wong Shu Qi in a four-cornered fight.
The third is said to be 58-year-old Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, a former Kluang football head coach and ex-footballer.
“Despite being a new face, Mohamad Haizan is well-known by local folk, both young and old.
“He has been a Bersatu member for four years and is also the party’s Ladang Mengkibol branch chief,” said the source.
On Wednesday, Johor Perikatan chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the coalition had shortlisted three names for the by-election on Sept 28.
“We will be submitting their names to the central leadership this week.
“We will leave it to them to decide and make the announcement,” he said.
The Mahkota seat fell vacant following the passing of its assemblyman Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain of Umno on Aug 2.
Meanwhile, Kluang MCA public complaints bureau chief Joan Ng said 15 of its branches have met and agreed to set up a war room as soon as Barisan Nasional announces its Mahkota by-election candidate.
“We have to make the necessary preparations to face the by-election. I will lead our campaign team and we will lend our full support to assist the Barisan candidate,” said the Taman Melor MCA branch chairman.
During the Johor state election in 2022, Sharifah Azizah won the Mahkota seat with a 5,166 majority against Amanah’s Taqiuddin Cheman, Bersatu’s Mohamad Nor and Warisan’s Mohamed Noor Suleiman.
Nomination day has been fixed for Sept 14 with early voting on Sept 24.
