PONTIAN: The Tanjung Piai MCA division has proposed only one candidate for the Pekan Nanas state seat in the upcoming Johor election.

       Tanjung Piai MP and division chief Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said the name had been submitted to Barisan Nasional’s state and federal leadership for approval.

       However, he also insinuated that the division's choice candidate for the Pekan Nanas, a seat under the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency, was his division vice chief Tan Eng Meng.

       “Our team in the Tanjung Piai including Tan never stopped working even after we lost in the 2018 general election.

       “Back then we were the Opposition and held no government or assemblyman posts yet we still did our best when the people came to us for help,” said the Deputy Primary Industry And Commodities Minister in a press conference after attending the division’s Chinese New Year lunch here on Monday (Feb 7).

       Tan, who is currently a Pontian Municipal Council councillor, also contested the seat in the 14th General Election.

       Wee added that he hoped MCA’s traditional seats of Pekan Nanas and Pulai Sebatang, under the Pontian parliamentary constituency, could be contested by the party but the final decision was still up to the coalition’s federal leadership.

       “We want to win in order to implement policies and programmes without interruption to solve the people’s problems.

       “The people have suffered enough in the past two years due to job and income issues brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and we cannot keep politicking as it will affect their livelihood,” he added.

       In GE14, Yeo Tung Siong from DAP won Pekan Nanas with 11,856 votes while MCA’s Tan received 10,548 votes.