DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said it will be a loss for the voters of Simpang Jeram if they fail to pick Pakatan Harapan candidate Nazri Abdul Rahman in the by-election on September 9.

Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said this was because Nazri had served as engineer in the Muar Municipal Council and had been providing services to residents in Muar, including Simpang Jeram, all this while.  

“He has been serving the people all this while unlike another candidate, whom I will not touch about his personality. For the people of Simpang Jeram, Nazri is the obvious choice,” he said.

Zahid was speaking to reporters at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa@Simpang Jeram: Mini Expo on Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme in Sungai Abong.

He said Nazri was also a candidate of calibre as he had completed his doctorate on floods.

He said political stability was one of the key factors to bring development to a constituency and the state.

“If Nazri is elected, he will not only continue to strengthen the unity government at the constituency level but also at the state level. A victory will certainly translate into strengthening the stability of the Johor government,” he said.

The Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state by-elections are held following the death of Salahuddin Ayub, who was also the domestic trade and cost of living minister, on July 23.

The by-elections are three-way contests between Perikatan Nasional (PN), BN-Pakatan Harapan and Independents.

Nazri is facing PN’s Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya and Independent candidate S. Jeganathan, a businessman, in Simpang Jeram. – Bernama, September 2, 2023.