KLUANG: The Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Mahkota by-election will be announced a week earlier than the nomination day.
Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said this would allow the candidate to become familiar to voters and start engaging with as many people as possible in the constituency ahead of time.
"There has been a significant increase in the number of voters, now totalling 66,318 in the Mahkota constituency. We need time to meet voters within this short period.
"We will announce the candidate earlier, in the first week of next month, which is a week before the nomination day, unlike before when it was two days before nomination day.
"So far, three names were submitted to PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last week," he told reporters after being briefed on preparations for the Mahkota by-election at the main PN operations room in Kampung Melayu, here.
On Aug 14, Johor PN chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal had said the names of three people, all of whom were locals, would be submitted to the central leadership for consideration as potential candidates for Mahkota.(https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1091512/pn-submit%C2%A03-name...)
Azmin said Bersatu was not intimidated even though currently there were only three opposition assemblymen in the Johor legislative assembly.
"We want to address issues such as economic problems and the high cost of living. We want a stronger voice and to carry the mandate in the Johor assembly. What is important is to bring the Mahkota people's mandate (to the assembly)," he said.