Johor polls: BN fields 70 per cent new faces

Its chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said more than 80 per cent of the coalition's candidates for the polls also have high academic qualifications and are aged below 55.

"(In the selection) we looked into several criteria with the concept of winnability, acceptability and likeability and we believe this team can become the game-changer and brings a new hope to Johor," he said at the event to announce BN candidates for the polls at Johor UMNO headquarters here today.

The announcement was made by Johor BN chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad involving the three BN component parties - UMNO, MCA and MIC.

UMNO will contest 37 seats, while MCA to contest 15 and MIC, four.

Ahmad Zahid said BN believed that the combination of candidates from the professionals and the experienced would be able to garner over 700,000 votes from the young voters following the implementation of Undi18.

Ahmad Zahid also announced that Hasni, who is also BN's poster boy for the state polls, would be appointed as the Johor Menteri Besar if BN won the people's mandate to form the new state government.

Meanwhile, when announcing the names, Hasni said MCA is still in the midst of finalising the names of their candidates so as to give the best to Johor.

In the list of candidates, 10 incumbents, eight of which from UMNO and two from MIC, would contest to defend their seats.

Hasni himself will be defending his Benut seat. The other nine seats to be defended by UMNO incumbents were Buloh Kasap, Sri Medan, Semarang, Pasir Raja, Parit Raja, Panti and Tanjung Surat, while MIC will be defending their traditional Kahang and Tenggaroh seats.

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi who lost in Batu Pahat in the 13th General Election is making a comeback and was named as BN candidate for Rengit, while former Bukit Serampang assemblyman Ismail Mohamed and former Layang-Layang assemblyman Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim, will contest in Bukit Kepong and Layang-Layang, respectively.

Nomination for the state polls is on Saturday, while polling is on March 12.