JOHOR BAHRU - Former Johor state assembly speaker Suhaizan Kaiat was rumoured to be nominated by the state's Amanah to contest in the Pulai Parliamentary seat in the by-election on Sept 9.
Suhaizan, 50, who was the Johor Amanah deputy chairman was familiar among Pulai residents as he was the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub’s political secretary.
The Pulai Amanah chief was honoured and prepared to shoulder the trust given if he was nominated to represent the unity government in the Pulai Parliamentary seat.
The former Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) lecturer said his experience contesting in the general election since 2004 among them in Kepmas, Kukup and Simpang Renggam had made him stronger and less prone to having his spirits broken.
"If the party gave their trust to me to contest in Pulai I will perform my best duties to repay their trust.
"In the current context what’s important was to care for the unity government’s stability,” he said when met at the Johor Amanah office in Kangkar Pulai here on Tuesday.
Suhaizan described the late Salahuddin as a leader that saw the problems of the local community especially for residents in the four People’s Housing Project (PPR) areas in the Pulai Parliamentary constituency.
"Whenever he returned to the area for the weekend, I would manage his schedule throughout the day. The programmes involved seven to 10 activities daily.
"Despite the packed schedule with the programmes at a ministerial level, he still had the time to approach the public, I have never heard him complain. His diligence became a good example towards approaching the public,” he said.
In the previous general election, Salahuddin defended the Pulai Parliamentary seat after obtaining 64,900 votes, winning with a majority of 33,174 votes defeating Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (BN) who obtained 23,026 votes and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Loh Kah Yong with 14,432 votes.
Salahuddin successfully defended the Simpang Jeram state seat for the second term in the Johor state elections when he obtained 8,749 votes defeating PN candidate Zarul Salleh (6,350 votes) BN candidate Lokman Md Don (6,092) and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) candidate Mahaizal Mahmor with 208 votes.
The Pulai Parliamentary seat by-election and the Simpang Jeram State election would be held following the unexpected vacancy after the death of the seat's incumbent Salahuddin on July 23.
Salahuddin, 61, who was the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister died at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar, Kedah at 9.23pm following a surgery for a brain haemorrhage.
The Election Commission set the nomination date for the Pulai Parliament by-election and Simpang Jeram state election on Aug 26, while early voting would take place on Sept 5 and the polling day on Sept 9.