AMANAH has picked former Johor assembly speaker Suhaizan Kaiat to defend the Pulai parliamentary seat while engineer Nazri Abdul Rahman will contest in the Simpang Jeram state constituency, party president Mohamad Sabu said.

He said both candidates will be introduced to voters at a memorial for its former incumbent Salahuddin Ayub on August 23 in Simpang Jeram.

The seats fell vacant when the Amanah former deputy president died last month after failing to recover from brain haemorrhage.

The Election Commission has fixed August 26 for nomination, September 5 for early voting and September 9 for polling in both by-elections.

Suhaizan, 50, was the Johor assembly speaker from 2018 to 2020, before the Pakatan Harapan state government collapsed following the Sheraton Move.

He also served as Salahuddin’s political secretary at the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

The former UiTM academic is Johor Amanah vice-president and the party’s Pulai division chief.

Nazri, 56, was an engineer with the Muar Municipal Council for 30 years. He is Bakri Amanah deputy division chief. 

In the general election last November, Salahuddin retained the Pulai seat with a 33,174 majority after polling 64,900 votes. He beat Umno’s Nur Jazlan Mohamed (31, 726) and Gerakan’s Loh Kah Yong (20,677).

He retained the Simpang Jeram seat with a 2,399 majority after scoring 8749 votes,  beating Umno’s Lokman Md Don (6062), PAS candidate Zarul Salleh (6350) and Pejuang’s Mahaizal Mahmor (208). – August 19, 2023.