[UPDATED] Johor polls: Puad Zarkashi to contest in Rengit

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi will enter the fray in Johor, contesting the party’s stronghold of Rengit, while caretaker menteri besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad is defending the Benut seat.

The Barisan Nasional coalition in a press conference revealed that its linchpin Umno is contesting 37 seats, while component parties MCA and MIC will stand in 15 and four seats, respectively.

Puad’s entry sees the departure of Rengit incumbent and former Johor exco Ayub Jamil, who held the seat since 2004. Puad was Batu Pahat MP, where Rengit sits, between 2008 and 2013. He lost the seat to PKR in the 2013 general election.

Meanwhile, Hasni, being the MB candidate for BN, is already expected to win Umno stronghold Benut, a state seat he held since 2008.

Interestingly, BN has placed a new face, Shah Rihan Ghani of Umno, to contest in Gambir, which was held by former Umno man Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in 2018 under the Bersatu-Pakatan Harapan banner. The former prime minister had said he wouldn’t be defending the seat.

During the event, Umno president Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it is “a must for BN to win all the seats we are contesting in the Johor election.”

“I can promise that up to 70% of our candidates are made up of new faces. The team that will be serving the people of Johor will be a game-changer. A big change that will certainly give Johor a new hope.”

MCA will be running for Jementah, Bekok, Tangkak, Bentayan, Yong Peng, Penggaram, Mengkibol, Paloh, Puteri Wangsa, Johor Jaya, Stulang, Perling, Skudai, Senai, and Pekan Nanas.

MIC will be heading to Kemelah, Kahang, Tenggaroh, and Bukit Batu.

Below are the names of Umno candidates contesting the Johor seats. – The Vibes, February 24, 2022