Party victory over solo wins, Pejuang says on Johor polls

Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir today said that it was too early for the party to announce its candidate for the position of menteri besar if it forms the new state government after the Johor polls.

Responding to talk that Johor Pejuang chief Shahruddin Md Salleh would be named, he said the party would not make any announcement on the matter just yet.

“I still think it’s rather premature because we still have to win the (state) election before someone can be appointed to be the menteri besar,” he told reporters after attending a Pejuang event in Muar today.

Yesterday, Pejuang announced that it would contest 42 seats in the state polls, naming Shahruddin, the Sri Gading MP and former deputy works minister, as its candidate in Machap.

Mukhriz said the target was to ensure the party’s victory in the state election instead of the victory of just one candidate.

“I have learned from Pakatan Harapan’s experience in Melaka where the focus was given only on the chief minister candidate,” he said.

“Yes, he won, but others did not. I had the same experience in Kedah. I was named the menteri besar candidate but I knew I had to campaign for other candidates, too.

“There’s no use in winning alone, you cannot be the menteri besar that way although you may end up being the opposition leader. But that’s not our target,” he said.

Nomination for the Johor polls will be held tomorrow, while early voting is on March 8 and polling on March 12.