JOHOR BARU, Aug 26 — The contest for the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state seats begin today with nominations of candidates beginning at 9am.

The Sultan Ibrahim Diamond Jubilee Hall here will serve as the nomination centre for the Pulai parliamentary by-election, while the similarly named hall in Muar will serve as the nomination centre for the Simpang Jeram state by-election and candidates have till 10 am to submit their nomination papers to the returning officer at the nomination centres before being declared qualified for contesting in the by-elections.

Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Pulai is former Johor state assembly speaker, Suhaizan Kaiat, who also served as political secretary to the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, the incumbent Pulai MP and Simpang Jeram assemblyman who died on July 23.

Contesting under Amanah’s ticket, Suhaizan will be going against Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Zulkifli Jaafar, Pulai Bersatu’s deputy chief, while PH’s defence of Simpang Jeram will be undertaken by the constituency’s Amanah deputy chief, Bakri Nazri Abdul Rahman, who will take on PN’s Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya, an endovascular surgeon.

Also, Kuala Lumpur Consumer Safety Association president (PKPKL) Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi has expressed his interest in becoming an MP and may contest as an independent in Pulai.

Based on the Election Commission’s (EC) statistics, there are 166,653 registered voters, 165,799 ordinary voters, 927 police personnel and spouses and 26 overseas postal voters in the Pulai parliamentary constituency, while in Simpang Jeram state constituency, there are 40,379 registered voters, 40373 ordinary voters and six overseas postal voters.

In the 15th general election, Salahuddin won Pulai with a majority of 33,174 votes, polling 64,900 votes, ahead of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (31,726 votes) and PN candidate Loh Kah Yong (20,677).

He also defended his Simpang Jeram seat in the Johor state election in March last year by polling 8,749 votes against PN’s Zarul Salleh (6,350 votes), BN’s Lokman Md Don (6,062 votes) and Parti Pejuang Tanahair’s Mahaizal Mahmor (208 votes).

Early voting will be held on September 5, while polling day has been set on September 9. Candidates will have a period of 14 days to campaign. — Bernama