Tough fight for all Johor BN candidates
JOHOR BAHRU, April 28 (Bernama) -- The opposition's attempt to destroy the Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold in the 14th General Election (GE14) is obvious when almost all BN candidates fielded in all 26 parliamentary and 56 state seats in Johor are facing tough fight with more than two opponents.
Even Johor Menteri Besar and BN chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin is in a three-cornered fight to defend his Permas state seat and four-cornered fight in the contest for the Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat.
Mohamed Khaled is being challenged by Ab Aziz Abdullah (PAS), Chee Jock (Independent) and Hassan Abdul Karim (PKR) for the parliamentary seat, while for the state seat, he is up against Datuk Che Zakaria Mohd Salleh (PKR-PPBM) and also Abd Aziz of PAS.
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam will have to defend his Segamat parliamentary seat in a three-cornered fight against Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil from PAS and Datuk Seri R. Santhara Kumar of PKR.
MNO vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is meeting an old rival, Sembrong PKR election coordinator Onn Abu Bakar, in a straight fight for the Sembrong parliamentary seat.
In Pagoh, PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the incumbent, is being challenged by his protégé Ismail Mohamed of BN and Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz from PAS.
Meanwhile, former Department of Special Affairs (JASA) director-general Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi is not contesting as an Independent candidate for the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat as speculated by many after his name was dropped from the BN's list of candidates.
He was replaced by Batu Pahat Wanita UMNO chief Haliza Abdullah, who is now in a three-cornered fight against PAS Ulama Council chairman Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed and Penang Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
-- BERNAMA
