PN announces Mas Ermieyati as CM candidate

Perikatan Nasional (PN) today announced Tanjung Bidara candidate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as its choice for chief minister in the event that it wins the Melaka state election, bringing her one step closer to becoming Malaysia’s first woman head of state.

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement in a press conference at the coalition’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

He said she had been chosen as the candidate for chief minister due to her track record as a clean and popular leader as well as an experienced politician.

“I have also gone to the ground and found that Melaka voters who are very knowledgeable in politics want a competent leader. They did not mention man or woman, they just want a clean person who can work,” he said.

On her position in the Cabinet as a deputy minister, he said she would have to resign from the post if she is appointed as chief minister.

“She will have to resign as she cannot hold two posts in the federal and state governments,” he said.

Mas Ermieyati, who faces Barisan Nasional’s Ab Rauf Yusoh and Pakatan Harapan’s Zainal Hassan in a three-way contest for Tanjung Bidara, is a two-term MP for Masjid Tanah.

The Masjid Tanah Bersatu division chief was also the Puteri Umno chief before leaving the party in July 2018, two months after the 14th general election.

She applied to join Bersatu in mid-December 2018 and was confirmed as a party member later that month.

PN is contesting all 28 seats in the Melaka state legislative assembly.