Malaysiakini | 11:54PM Apr 2, 2013
The flurry of heavyweights from the Pakatan Rakyat camp contesting parliamentary seats in Johor continued as former army chief Gen (Rtd) Md Hashim Hussein was announced as PKR’s candidate for the Johor Baru parliamentary seat tonight.
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim also announced Steven Choong as candidate for Tebrau, Nor Hizwan Ahmad for Muar and Idris Jauzi for Batu Pahat.
These are also parliamentary seats.
Choong is the PKR deputy secretary-general and is strongly linked with Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng.
Nor Hizwan is Muar-born, had worked in MAS, and was active in Ampang PKR before being appointed as Muar PKR parliamentary coordinator.
Idris Jauzi is NGO Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia (Wadah) vice-president and former leader of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim).
His links with Anwar goes back to the days when Anwar was in the government and Idris was Biro Tata Negara deputy director-general.
Anwar made the announcements in front of a strong crowd of a few thousand at the Ceramah Perdana Merdeka Rakyat in Kg Datuk Sulaiman Menteri, Johor Baru.
“We have a four-star general as your candidate for Johor Baru,” he proudly pointed out.
In fact Hashim’s (right) candidature was supposed to be announced over a week ago.
But he fell victim to a bout of food poisoning on the night of March 23, leading to Anwar abstaining from announcing him as the candidate.
Hashim received his degree in War Studies from King’s College in London and had once led the elite 10 Paratrooper Brigade.
He rose steadily through the ranks and eventually served as army chief between January 1999 to December 2002.
Upon his retirement, he was appointed as the Malaysian high commissioner to Pakistan between 2003 and 2006.
He only joined PKR recently, on March 6.
Anwar’s decision to field Hashim follows two DAP bigwigs being announced as candidates in Johor.
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has been confirmed to do battle in Gelang Patah, while Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong will be shifting his base to the Kluang parliamentary seat.
These are PKR’s first major announcement of candidates in Johor with more to come as the opposition attempts to ambitiously wrest away Johor, long known as Umno’s bastion, away from the ruling coalition in forthcoming election.
The Johor Baru seat is currently held by Umno’s Shahrir Samad, who defeated Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s (PRM) Hassan Karim by a majority of 25,349 votes.
With all those heavyweight south in Johor, johor land will sink by few inches to a foot, ready for a perfect storm or Tsunami to enshore.
Honestly where is PAS line-up? Where is Hadi Awang, Nik Aziz and the ulamas of PAS? Mat Sabu is great but really not even close to being adequate much less the superhuman feat necessary…
Guessing: Hadi in Pahang, Nik Aziz in Kelantan, Kit in Johore, Karpal in Penang, Anwar in Perak, Kak Wan in Selangor?
As far as I know. Mat Sabu is very popular, he is very goooooooood!
Johorean, if you admire Penagites’ opportunity to view PSY gangnam style and upcoming Lady Gaga for free.
Ask PR to organise a Johorean ‘Han Zhiang’, by GE14 you get to see PSY and Lady Gaga in Johor for free.
Do not underestimate political power, you get too much free goodies….
Free lunch, free money, free shirts, free?, free?, ask IRB what free means.
I hope Anwar is careful this time to not bring in any BN moles or BN agents!
THIS IS IT.
PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED!
EFFECTIVE TODAY, 3 APRIL 2013.
Najib can’t even dissolve parliament without making a mistake. He said 2012, not 2013. Born a screw-up always a screw up
he even said …. saya, timbalan perdana menteri …
only chengho can explain, is bLackRose or Madey the perdana menteri?
Today may well signal the end of BN rule!
Yes, send in all the heavyweighs to Johor
Penetrate/seize from the south up north
Set the target right, lead the battle & march on
Fight head on with tainted, rejected, shameful, arrogant politicians from Barisan
Johoreans, please come out in full force
Vote wisely for the right candidates
Throw BN component parties, umno, mca. mic, gerakan and the like into oblivion
Show them ‘PEOPLES POWER’ at the ballot boxes
Its really ‘NOW OR NEVER’
BN!
BN!
BN!
BN!
Oh, errrr ….
Bungkus Najib!
Bungkus Najib!
Bungkus Najib!
Its pointless running ahead but the truth is if PR can do the same placing of heavyweights in Sabah and Sarawak this time, Johor would not matter and PR can start packing for Putrajaya..
Its why UMNO/BN days are numbered sooner or later. Its just that later is just very very expensive, maybe too expensive..
Since the 12 Parliament has been dissolve by PM over 5 hours ago, the contest has now finally begin.
I’m a Johorean, and the ground here is changing to “Ini Kalilah. UBAH. REFORMASI. Takbir. ABU”. This is what I have observed especially in the JB area. I do hope that all over JOHOR it will be the same.
At last ….Najib dissolved Parliament…making way for election.
THIS KiaBo,KiaSi,BoHood,BoLan,C4 a girl,BeiYong, ChowLang, PuakChow All-in-One Forced-in- disgrace to call G Election today. If not forced, he would cling on power on-and-on without any regard for being unelected ‘PM’ AND no qualm at all with such thick-skin / SHAME and still Tokok, Spin, Sandiwara, Big Time Bribing using Rakyat’s funds. AND the most fitting word to descibe is PAR*AH ! a celup of MAMAK.
These so called heavyweights fielded in Johore MUST able to hit the grounds with facts, points, ,,,,, of substance and not be carry away with the euphoria but FOR the RAKYAT foremost.
(not to be caught in Bumno’s spin, sandiwara BUT be effective campaigning, counter punch).
MAMAK is just diversionary, still is C4’s Altantuya, Scorpene , Cowgate, TBH, Ahamd S, PKFTZ,Toyo, etc ALL wrongdoings,,,,,etc.
Just look at dis: RM155 million 2 cronies 4 cancelling d crooked bridge project, RM20 million 2 another crony in commission fees 4 helping other cronies 2 procure d crooked bridge project fr UmnoB/BN gomen
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiit, no wonder UmnoB/BN n cronies love dis UmnoB/BN gomen while d nation bankrupt
Everyone’s first priorty is to repeat call for NATIONALLY TELEVISED DEBATE between Anwar and Najib
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
DEBATE!
All the way up to Polling Day..
silly Pakatan strategy , politic is local eh , local people voting
Ya, all local folks go to PR ceramah, BeEnd use big loud speakers to kacau. Is this what you mean local?
TANYA SAMA NAJIB
SEBAB APA GOYANG
UMUM TAHUN SALAH
NANTI JAWAB NAJIB
JOHOR NAK HILANG!!
INI KALI LAH
TUMBANGKAN BN
Will UMNO Baru field their supremo and party founder Mahathir? I wonder.
Johoreans are smart and in the urban areas…are mostly non racist citizens.
They have been tagging along with the Dictators ….voting for selfish reasons…to have peace and harmony.
The Umno B racist Govt….loves to divide and rule…disuniting the People as much as they can.
Came the 12th GE results…time to change…….time to vote for people and country.
Lim Kit Siang is the first politician to have great faith in Johoreans….doing the right thing.
As you can see..the BN crooks are caught..surprising all….the move LKS made…and as usual…all sorts of labels hauled at LKS.
The signal is clear…..BN is very afraid to loose.