MOHAMED Khaled Nordin’s move to contest both parliamentary and state seats is not impressing voters, some of whom think it shows that the caretaker Johor menteri besar is afraid of losing.

Some also feel it shows that the ruling Barisan Nasional has no other candidates of calibre.

Khaled is contesting the marginal federal seat of Pasir Gudang and the Permas state seat, both BN strongholds that have only seen straight fights up till now.

He is in a four-cornered fight in both seats, against Pakatan Harapan, PAS and independent candidates.

“Khaled is afraid of losing. That’s why he is standing in two seats, in case he loses in one,” said a voter in Permas who wanted to be known only as Leong, 68.

Awie Ahmad, 64, shared the same sentiment, saying Khaled is not safe in Permas, where he is the incumbent, despite holding the menteri besar’s post.

“Maybe, he’s afraid of losing. Even though he is menteri besar.”

In 2013, Khaled won the seat by 5,752 votes, beating his contender from PAS.

In Pasir Gudang, the former minister of higher education, and entrepreneurial and cooperative development will have to close a gap of 935 votes to secure a return to Parliament.

A voter in Bandar Baru Uda who wanted to be known only as Gopal said BN’s move to field Khaled in two seats shows that the ruling coalition lacks good candidates.

“It looks like there is no one more capable than Khaled. It can’t be that a menteri besar is willing to contest if he is afraid of losing,” said the 35-year-old.

Khaled has said his simultaneous candidacy in federal and state seats is to ensure a seamless representation of Johor’s interests at the federal level by the same “team” that is governing the state.

He has dismissed PH’s strategy of raising a wave of Malay support for the opposition, which PH believes must start in Johor, being Umno’s birthplace, in order to influence the rest of the country to reject BN. – May 2, 2018.