Muda unveils 3 more candidates, including 53-year-old, for Johor polls

 All three are first-timers, who are active in community and constituency work.

Premanand Maniam, Amir Jack and Ainie Haziqah Shafii were the three Muda candidates named tonight for the Johor state election.

KUALA LUMPUR:

Muda has unveiled three more candidates for the Johor state election, including a 53-year-old human resources professional, as the party seeks to expand its appeal beyond younger voters.

Premanand Maniam, the oldest among the three, will vie for the Bukit Batu seat; Amir Jack, 30, will contest in Maharani; and Ainie Haziqah Shafii, 36, in Simpang Jeram.

According to Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, all three are first-timers who are active in community and constituency work.

Yesterday, Muda announced Rashifa Aljuneid, also a fresh face, as its candidate for the Puteri Wangsa seat after Amira decided against defending it.

Amira is believed to be preparing to contest a parliamentary seat.

Tonight, Rashifa, who has served in the Puteri Wangsa service centre for four years, said she never dreamt of bidding to become an elected representative.

“But four years ago, I dreamt of a cleaner Malaysia, a more transparent Malaysia, and a Malaysia that can guarantee a future for young people,” she said at a fundraising event.

She also said her campaign would focus on the concerns of the constituents.

Amira won Puteri Wangsa with a 7,114-vote majority in the 2022 state election.

At a press conference later, Amira defended the youth-based party’s decision to field Premanand, saying age was not a factor in the selection.

She said the decision was based on Premanand’s long-standing service in Bukit Batu, where he had been actively helping residents even before joining Muda.

“It does not matter how old someone is. As long as their ideas and principles are aligned with Muda, and they want to champion the voices of young people and progressive values, they are eligible to be a candidate,” she said.

At the event, Muda also unveiled its “Kontrak Muda Johor 2026” manifesto, which centres on three key areas – the cost of living and job opportunities, state-level reforms, and climate change and environmental challenges.

Information chief Rasid Abu Bakar said these priorities were identified through polling and voter engagement across Johor, particularly in constituencies the party intends to contest.

Nomination day for the Johor election is June 27, with early voting on July 7 and polling on July 11. - FMT