JOHOR BARU, Feb 28 — A total of 42 candidates from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air contesting in the upcoming Johor state election will today undergo an anti-corruption psychometric test.

Pejuang is the first political party to make it compulsory for their candidates in the state election to undergo the test called RasuahBusters Tag (RBTag) to determine their integrity.

It is understood that the test involves candidates answering 50 questions, with the test conducted by anti-corruption movement Rasuah Busters.

Among the party’s candidates that have completed the test is Pejuang’s Muhammad Airel Zabridin, who is also the Johor state election’s youngest hopeful.

The 26-year-old, who will contest the Tangkak state seat, said the RBTag test was not too difficult because the questions that needed to be answered revolved around his daily life.

"For me, the 50 questions posed are more towards logic and reasoning,” he said when met at the JO Hotel Johor Baru in Jalan Gereja here.

Muhammad Airel believes the RBTag test is important for every candidate as the voters can then allegedly evaluate their integrity through the results.

He added that there is no need for politicians to worry about undergoing the psychometric test as it gives an added advantage of that increasing one’s level of awareness on corruption and graft.

At the same time, Pejuang’s Sungai Balang state seat candidate, Intan Nadira Shafika Mustafa Kamal, described the psychometric test as not that difficult to answer.

"It revolves around daily situations, but we need to be honest in answering as it is a measure of the true integrity of each candidate,” said the 28-year-old.

Intan Nadira said there was no objection to all the 42 candidates on undergoing the psychometric test when Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukriz Mahathir made it compulsory for them.

"I felt that this test was new and an exciting addition for us as Pejuang is also the first to make it compulsory for their candidates before being allowed to contest,” she said.

Meanwhile, RBTag Rasuah Busters director Datuk Rosmadi Ghazali said all candidates were divided into three test sessions starting at 10am and was expected to finish at 4pm today.

He said the RBTag test is important for every candidate because it can increase the level of awareness on various elements involving corruption and graft that can happen in our society.

"At present, we have no proper integrity assessment gauge on how an individual can be elected as a leader.

"Therefore, we want candidates for each election to undergo this test to produce a leadership with integrity,” said Rosmadi, who is also involved in other integrity-driven ventures such as body cameras worn by law enforcement officers.

He said the psychometric test has been practiced by countries that are ranked 20 per cent based on the Corruption Perception Index, including neighbouring Singapore.

Psychometric tests are assessment tools used to objectively measure an individual’s personality traits, aptitude, intelligence, integrity and behavioural style.

On February 2, it was reported that new political outfit Parti Bangsa Malaysia announced that 18 of its leaders had taken the anti-corruption psychometric test as recommended by Rasuah Busters to ensure that they are accountable and not prone to graft.

Its deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha said that following this, more leaders and also members will follow suit, while their candidates for the upcoming Johor state election will also undergo the test.

The EC has set March 12 as the polling date for the Johor state election and early voting on March 8.

Johor has 56 state constituencies, with more than 2.59 million voters who are eligible to cast their ballot in this state election. The EC is targeting a 70 per cent voter turnout.