JOHOR BARU: This state election is seen as a muted affair, with just 172 candidates, including six independents, engaged in several multi-cornered fights for 56 seats.
The number of candidates is at least 30% lower compared to the 2022 polls.
Back then, 239 candidates, including 16 independents, took part in the election, despite it being held during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bukit Naning, Puteri Wangsa and Bukit Batu are the most crowded seats, seeing five-cornered fights.
Twelve seats are seeing four-cornered fights – Tenang, Simpang Jeram, Maharani, Paloh, Endau, Tiram, Johor Jaya, Permas, Stulang, Skudai, Kota Iskandar and Bukit Permai.
A big number of seats, 27 of them, have three-cornered fights.
They are Jementah, Pemanis, Kemelah, Bukit Kepong, Bukit Pasir, Gambir, Serom, Sungai Balang, Semerah, Sri Medan, Semarang, Parit Raja, Senggarang, Rengit, Layang-Layang, Mahkota and Kahang.
Tenggaroh, Panti, Pasir Raja, Sedili, Johor Lama, Penawar, Larkin, Perling, Kempas and Senai are the remaining seats with three-way contests.
Straight fights are happening in 14 seats – Buloh Kasap, Bekok, Tangkak, Bentayan, Yong Peng, Parit Yaani, Penggaram, Machap, Mengkibol, Tanjung Surat, Benut, Pulai Sebatang, Pekan Nanas and Kukup.
Of the 172 candidates, 34 are females.
Interestingly, three incumbents are taking part in this election, but under different banners.
Former state executive councillor Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim, who was dropped from the Barisan Nasional line-up, is still contesting his Layang-Layang seat but under the Perikatan Nasional banner.
The other candidate is Mazlan Bujang, an exco member during Johor’s Perikatan administration.
Just days before the polls, Mazlan, who had since left Bersatu, joined PAS and was named the candidate for the Kahang seat.
Endau candidate Alwiyah Talib is contesting for Barisan again after having left Perikatan.
Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said that the coalitions of Barisan and Pakatan Harapan were fielding the most number of candidates in all 56 seats, while Perikatan is contesting 33 seats.
“The commission also has 56 enforcement teams to oversee the election,” he said, urging for the campaigning to be done in a peaceful atmosphere and in accordance with the law.
