Johor polls: It's not a downgrade - Mohd Puad

BATU PAHAT: "I want to spend my life serving the people. Either at the Parliamentary or state constituency level, it makes no difference for an elected representative," said Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Rengit state seat said he strongly believes that he was not being downgraded as claimed by certain quarters following his reappearance at the Johor state election despite having served as a member of Parliament (MP).

"Some people ask me if I feel like I am being downgraded since I was once an MP but now contesting for a state seat. My answer is simple, there are no double standards. The difference is whether the individual is committed to fulfilling his duties as an elected representative or not," the former Deputy Education Minister told Bernama recently.

In the 12th General Election (GE12), Mohd Puad defeated PAS candidate Muhammad Abdullah to win the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat with a 12,968-vote majority.

However, in GE13, he lost the seat to PKR candidate Datuk Mohd Idris Jusi with a majority of 1,524 votes.

In GE14, Mohd Puad was not listed as a candidate and was replaced by then Batu Pahat UMNO Division Wanita chief Haliza Abdullah.

Commenting on the Johor polls, he said his main focus was to highlight the '4K@Rengit' aspiration of his manifesto which focuses on four aspects namely 'Kesejahteraan, Kesihatan, Kecergasan dan Keceriaan' (wellbeing, health, wellness and happiness) so as to woo voters in the constituency.

Among the highlights of this aspiration are to build low-cost and affordable housing and a dialysis centre in the constituency, to develop sepak takraw and petanque and to repaint shoplots in the Rengit town.

He also plans to implement a restructuring project of Orang Asli settlement in the Rengit constituency which focuses on the development of infrastructure and basic facilities in the area.

The Rengit state seat will see a four-cornered fight between Mohd Puad who is also the Batu Pahat UMNO Division chief, Khairuddin A Rahim (PKR), Mohd Huzair Lajis (Perikatan Nasional) and Nizam Bashir Abdul Kariem Bashir of Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang).

-- BERNAMA