Johor PKR deputy chief Jimmy Puah is expected to sit out of the forthcoming snap Johor state election.
Malaysiakini understands the incumbent Bukit Batu assemblyperson will instead be tasked to deal with a political frog at the federal level.
PKR is eyeing to field Puah (above) in the parliamentary seat of Tebrau when the 15th general election, due in 2023, is called.
The incumbent Tebrau MP is Steven Choong, who in February last year quit PKR to support the Perikatan Nasional government.
Choong later co-founded a new party - Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) - with another ex-PKR MP Larry Sng, and is currently its vice-chairperson.
PBM has yet to decide whether to participate in the Johor polls. Choong has not ruled out contesting a state seat if the party does decide to contest.
Puah, when contacted, did not confirm or deny talks that PKR wants him to take on Choong in Tebrau in the 15th general election.
Puah merely said that he would await instructions from his party.
However, a showdown between Puah and Choong will also depend on whether the latter defend his seat.
Puah is a two-term assemblyperson in Bukit Batu, which is a Chinese majority seat.
He first won the seat in 2013 for PKR and successfully defended his seat in the 2018 general election.
He served as Johor state executive councillor for international trade, investment and utilities when Pakatan Harapan governed Johor from 2018 until 2020.
In the 2018 general election, Puah won the Bukit Batu seat with a 10,057-vote majority.
Party sources indicated that PKR may field an experienced Chinese leader in Johor PKR to take Puah's place in Bukit Batu.
According to the party’s structure, a relatively senior Chinese leader in Johor PKR is its vice-chairperson, Yoong Thau.
Malaysiakini understands that PKR is aiming to finalise its candidate list tonight and an announcement could be made as early as the end of this week.
The Johor State Legislative Assembly was officially dissolved on Jan 23. The Election Commission (EC) will announce the date of the state polls later this afternoon. - Mkini
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