PASIR GUDANG: Parti Warisan is looking into contesting in state seats under the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency in the upcoming Johor polls.

       Party president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said some of its candidates have been identified and would be announced soon.

       "We will announce the candidates and the seats in a while more.

       "This (Pasir Gudang) area is among areas we are thinking of contesting in. When the time is right, we will announce," he said, adding that the candidates would be locals.

       Shafie said this after mingling with the people near Pasar Muafakat Sabah on Thursday (Feb 17).

       Based on unofficial statistics, there are an estimated 20,000 Sabahans in Johor, mostly living in the Pasir Gudang area.

       There are two state seats under Pasir Gudang, which are Johor Jaya and Permas.

       In GE14, DAP's Liow Cai Tung won the Johor Jaya seat while Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's Datuk Che Zakaria Mohd Salleh won the Permas seat.

       On another matter, Shafie also did not dismiss the possibility of former Bersatu state executive councillor and incumbent Puteri Wangsa assemblyman Mazlan Bujang joining Warisan.

       "Yes, he (Mazlan) had met with me many times to discuss some matters.

       "If people want to join our party, we cannot stop them," he said.

       Asked if Mazlan would be contesting under Warisan, he said the list of candidates has not been finalised yet.

       Speculations of Mazlan joining Warisan have been rife after a technical glitch at the launching of Parti Warisan showed a photo of the incumbent assemblyman.

       The technical glitch appeared on the big screen at the main stage when Johor Warisan chief coordinator Suhaimi Salleh, who was a former Tanjung Piai Umno division deputy chief, was about to give his speech to address the crowd at a restaurant in Taman Sutera on Tuesday (Feb 15) night.

       Instead of showing the picture of Suhaimi, the screen accidentally showed the picture of Mazlan for a few seconds before the correct one was used.

       On Jan 27, the former Tebrau Bersatu chief and former state education, information, heritage and culture committee chairman announced his exit from the party.

       This came just days after the state assembly was dissolved on Jan 22, paving the way for a snap election.