MUAR: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air’s state chief Datuk Shahruddin Md Salleh and the son of a former mentri besar are among the 42 candidates that it will field in its electoral debut in the Johor polls.

       Shahruddin, who is also Sri Gading MP and a former deputy minister, is expected to contest in Machap, which will see a five-cornered fight.

       Another notable Pejuang candidate is Nornekman Osman, son of the late Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian. He will be fielded in Osman’s seat of Kempas.

       Osman of Bersatu served as the 16th mentri besar from May 2018 until his resignation in April 2019. He died on Dec 21 last year.

       Pejuang president Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said most of its candidates are new faces except for Shahruddin and former Nusajaya assemblyman Dr Zaini Abu Bakar.

       “The candidates come from various backgrounds and most are first-time participants in politics,” he told a press conference yesterday.

       Four candidates are women while almost half of them are below 50 years old.

       The youngest Pejuang candidate is 26-year-old Muhammad Airel Zabridin, who will be fielded in Serom, while Intan Nadira Shafika Mustafa Kamal @ Mohd Najib, 28, will contest Sungai Balang.

       “A majority of them are from the private sector while some are NGO leaders as well as academicians,” Mukhriz added.

       “Pejuang will be going solo in the state election but is willing to work with any coalition.”

       Asked why Pejuang is placing its candidates in the northern region instead of in Johor Baru like other parties, Mukhriz replied: “Why not? We don’t have to do it in Johor Baru. After all we are contesting in the whole of Johor.”

       Asked if there were any crucial seats, Mukhriz said all seats were crucial to the party.

       “We have to try our best to win as many as we can,” he said.

       Pejuang is also fielding Mahdzir Ibrahim, a former DAP candidate for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat in the 14th General Election, in the Semerah state seat.