Wee Jeck Seng is BN's candidate for Tanjung Piai by-election 

PONTIAN, Oct 30 -- Barisan Nasional (BN) today named Tanjung Piai MCA chief Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng as its candidate for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election next month.

His name was announced by Johor BN chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad at the Tanjung Piai BN operation room here today, in front of about 300 supporters of the coalition. 

Hasni said the selection of Jeck Seng was a unanimous decision of the BN leadership and was also approved by PAS.

“After all the factors from various angles have been considered through discussions and final meetings of the BN leadership, we decided to let MCA contest for this seat,” he said when announcing the name of the candidate.

The announcement ended speculation that UMNO would cast its own candidate to represent the BN in the by-election for the parliamentary seat, which is traditionally contested by MCA.

Jeck Seng is the former Tanjung Piai Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2018 and Pekan Nenas assemblyman from 2004 to 2008.

He contested the parliamentary seat in the 14th General Election last year but lost to Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate, the late Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafiq.

Also present at the announcement was MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

PH has announced Tanjung Piai Bersatu Division head Karmaine Sardini as its candidate, while Gerakan named its deputy secretary-general Wendy Subramaniam as the candidate for the by-election.

The Election Commission has set the nomination day for the Tanjung Piai by-election on Nov 2, early voting on Nov 12 and polling on Nov 16.

The by-election is being held following the death of Dr Md Farid, 42, on Sept 21.

In the last general election, Dr Md Farid secured 21,255 votes to win over Jeck Seng (20,731 votes) and PAS candidate Nordin Othman (2,962 votes).

-- BERNAMA