Under-30 candidates still unable to secure mandate from Johor voters

KUALA LUMPUR: Candidates under the age of 30 who contested in the Johor state election are still unable to secure mandates from the state's voters even with the very first implementation of Undi18.

Eight under-30 candidates contested in the election, with the youngest being two 26-year-olds.

Out of the eight, only Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, 27, from the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) won, as she secured the Puteri Wangsa seat with a majority of 7,114 votes, a first for her party.

The MUDA secretary-general beat Ng Yew Aik (BN-MCA), Loh Kah Yong (PN-Gerakan), Dr Khairil Anwar Razali (Pejuang), Choong Shiau Yoon (Parti Bangsa Malaysia) and Adzrin Adam (Independent) in a six-cornered fight.

Out of the 239 candidates contesting in the election, 63 were aged 40 and below, with 14 from Barisan Nasional (BN), followed by Perikatan Nasional (13), Pejuang (11), Pakatan Harapan (10), MUDA (seven), PKR (four), PBM (two) and Parti Warisan Sabah (one), along with one independent candidate.

However, 14 of these candidates performed well by winning the seats they contested.

PH candidate Marina Ibrahim, 34, of DAP, contested for her first time for the Skudai seat ,beating Yeo Kwee Kwang (PN-Bersatu) and Shen Poh Kuan (BN-MCA) by obtaining 26,359 votes with a majority of 13,943 votes, the largest majority in the age group.

Four more PH-DAP candidates won, Ng Kor Sim, 38, with a majority of 7,001 in Jementah; Ee Chin Li, 39, with a majority of 372 votes in Tangkak; Liow Cai Tung, 36, with a majority of 1,922 votes in Johor Raya; and Wong Bor Yang, 35, with a majority of 5,921 votes in Senai.

Meanwhile, eight BN candidates from the same age group were victorious, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, 35, in Bukit Pasir, with a thin majority of 198 votes; Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, 37, (Larkin, 6,178 majority); Ling Tian Soon, 38, (Yong Peng, 2,741 majority); Norlizah Noh, 38, (Johor Lama, 6,039 majority); K. Raven Kumar, 39, (Tenggaroh, 1,356 majority); Mohamad Najib Samuri, 39, (Parit Yaani, 294 majority); Aznan Tamin, 37, (Tanjung Surat, 5,903 majority) and Lee Ting Han, 31, (Paloh, 3,176 majority).

Only one of PKR's four young candidates, Chiong Sen Sern, 32, managed to win, as he secured the Bukit Batu seat with a 137 majority, beating S. Suppayah (BN-MIC), Tan Heng Choon (PN-Gerakan) and Lee Ming Wen (Warisan).

BN managed to grab 40 out of 56 state seats contested in the Johor state election, enabling the party to form the new state government, while PH secured 11 seats, PN (three seats), with PKR and MUDA winning one seat each.

-- BERNAMA