Last batch of Johor PKR candidates revealed, includes ex-Amanah rep

JOHOR POLLS | PKR today announced its last batch of seven candidates for the Johor polls.

They included incumbent Senggarang assemblyperson Khairudin A Rahim, who won his seat under Amanah but quit to join PKR last year.

Khairudin will be fielded in neighbouring Rengit. Senggarang remains an Amanah seat.

The candidates for the remaining seven seats announced today are as follow:

Haryati Abu Nasir (Semarang)

Khairuddin A Rahim (Rengit)

Zulinah Johari (Tenggaroh)

Omar Mokhtar A Manap (Johor Lama)

Rosman Takir (Tanjung Surat)

Haniff @ Ghazali Hosman (Benut)

Mohd Zaiful Bakri (Kukup)

In total, PKR will be contesting all 20 seats allocated to it by Pakatan Harapan.

The other 13 candidates who were previously announced are as follow:

Subramaniam Chami (Buloh Kasap)

Yoong Tau (Pemanis)

Na'im Jusri (Gambir)

Md Ysahrudin Kusni (Bukit Naning)

Abdullah Sahid (Sungai Balang)

Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar (Semerah)

Azmi Masrani (Sri Medan)

Zamil Najwah Arbain (Larkin)

Chiong Sen Sern (Bukit Batu)

SS Gopalakrishnan (Tiram)

Mohd Fakharuddin Moslim (Pasir Raja)

Napsiah Khamis (Kempas)

Maszlee Malik (Layang-Layang)

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who announced the latest batch of candidates in Pasir Gudang today, urged the candidates and the party machinery to focus on peoples' issues and not be distracted.

"I don't want our members to be distracted by other issues. One or two outstanding issues, allow the leadership to solve them, we should focus on our groundwork," he said.

He noted that in Johor, Harapan has always been able to quickly resolve its seat allocation.

‘We could no longer wait for Muda’

Anwar also noted that PKR had negotiated with Muda but said the party could not wait any longer and had to move on.

"We cannot wait because our machinery needs to make preparations. We are not a wealthy party, we are a 'marhean' party that needs to make preparations from early on," he said, adding that they cannot afford a repeat of the Malacca polls where there were long-drawn-out negotiations.

PKR won't be surrendering any seats to Muda. It also does not plan to contest in the six which Amanah and DAP have offered to Muda but local leaders have warned they may retaliate if Muda tries to contest in PKR seats.

Anwar reminded party members of how PKR has come a long way because the party had been steadfast and unrelenting in its struggle.

He pointed out that in 1999, PKR was only given one safe seat - Permatang Pauh - to contest in while other seats were like Umno’s stronghold of Kemaman, Terengganu.

Against all odds, Anwar said, PKR won the seat once thought to be impenetrable.

As such, he said PKR candidates should emulate the same spirit in Johor.

Johoreans will go to the polls on March 12. The Nomination Day is fixed for Feb 26. - Mkini