Johor state election: Former Johor MB in four-cornered fight for Bukit Kepong seat

PAGOH: Former Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, from Perikatan Nasional (PN), will be in a four-cornered fight for the Bukit Kepong seat in the Johor state election.

Sahruddin, who is the incumbent, will face Barisan Nasional's (BN) candidate Ismail Mohamed, who is former Bukit Serampang Assemblyman and a former state executive council member when Johor was under the BN government.

His two other opponents are new faces Md Taib Md Suhut, from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) and Nur Afiqah M Zulkifli, of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA).

The list of the candidates for the Bukit Kepong state seat was annjounced by Returning Officer Rahman @ Abdul Rahman Selamat at the nomination centre for the Bukit Kepong constituency at Institut Kemahiran Tinggi Belia Negara (IKTBN) here today.

In the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018, Sahruddin, of Bersatu and contested on Perikatan Harapan (PH) ticket, won the Bukit Kepong seat by securing 11,665 votes, or a majority of 1,271 votes, against BN candidate Mohd Noor Taib, who obtained 10,392 votes, and PAS' Iqbal Razak, who garnered 1,761 votes.

Following which, Sahruddin was appointed the State Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman when PH formed the state government on May 9, 2018.

On April 14, 2019, Sahruddin took oath of office as the 17th Menteri Besar of Johor, replacing Datuk Osman Sapian (now deceased) who resigned.

Sahruddin was Johor Menteri Besar until the PH-led state government collapsed in February 2020.

-- BERNAMA