JOHOR BARU: Local leaders are hoping that their parties will look for fresh faces instead of allowing “political frogs” to contest in the Johor election.
This comes amid talk that some incumbents who defected to other parties after the 14th General Election (GE14) may be named as candidates.
Johor Umno treasurer Datuk Md Jais Sarday highlighted the perils of fielding these so-called “frogs” for Barisan Nasional in the upcoming state polls.
“It will hurt our image as these ‘frogs’ have their own agenda in quitting their previous party and joining us,” he said, calling this a sensitive issue that would be unacceptable to voters, especially the non-Malays.
He stressed the importance of enacting an anti-hopping law to prevent candidates from jumping to other parties after winning.
“We should find a way to make sure our candidates remain with us, including getting them to sign an agreement with huge penalties if they leave the party after the election,” he said, adding that this move worked when Barisan implemented it in the recent Melaka state election.
He noted that in GE14, Umno won 17 seats but three of its assemblymen then jumped to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Asked about talk that Umno might field two former Bersatu state executive councillors, Mazlan Bujang and Datuk Mohd Izhar Ahmad, in the upcoming polls, he said he did not think it would be a wise decision as it could hurt Barisan’s image.
Johor Amanah deputy chairman Dzulkefly Ahmad said his party would not be fielding any “frogs”, especially after the party itself lost three assemblymen post-GE14.
He said that this time around, all its 16 candidates would need to sign an agreement not to leave the party once they have won.
“I am sure we will have a clause for a hefty fine in the agreement,” he said, adding that all these problems could be resolved if the anti-hopping law was passed in Parliament.
The law is scheduled to be tabled next month.
In GE14, Amanah won nine seats but three of its assemblymen subsequently joined PKR. The three are Khairuddin A. Rahim from Senggarang, Dr Faizul Amri Adnan (Serom) and Muhamad Said Jonit (Mahkota).
Johor Perikatan Nasional information chief Solihan Badri, on the other hand, said Bersatu had no problems fielding the four assemblymen – three from Umno and one from PKR – who joined it after GE14.
“However, we are not sure if they will be going for a state or parliament seat. But they will be fielded as candidates,” he said.
Asked how the party plans to stop those leaving after winning, he said that so far Bersatu trusted its candidates and had no plans to get them to sign any documents.
“However, all our Perikatan candidates will have to take an anti-corruption oath,” he added.
Those who joined Bersatu after GE14 include Pemanis assemblyman Dr Chong Fat Full, who was from PKR, as well as Sedili assemblyman Rasman Ithnain, Roslaily Johari (Johor Lama) and Alwiyah Talib (Endau). All three were from Umno.