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KUALA LUMPUR – Former PKR member Steven Choong is unfazed by the prospect of facing the party’s Johor deputy chief Jimmy Puah in his federal constituency of Tebrau in the next general election.
Now a senior vice-president of fledgling Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), Choong noted that he has faced bigger challenges in his political career, including contesting against an MCA vice-president in the last national polls.
Speaking exclusively to The Vibes, the lawmaker also confirmed his decision to defend Tebrau when Parliament dissolves by the middle of next year.
“In politics, everything is a challenge. This one is nothing. In the 14th general election, I was up against then MCA vice-president Datuk Hou Kok Chung.
“Puah is only a state party deputy chief. Ranking-wise, he is so much lower,” he said today.
Choong was responding to a Malaysiakini report suggesting that Puah, a two-time assemblyman of Bukit Batu in Johor, will sit out the coming state election in favour of competing at the federal level in Tebrau.
It is common for local political parties to reward and promote their leaders who have won twice at the state level to contest in a parliamentary seat.
In the 2018 poll, contesting under the PKR banner, Choong secured a landslide victory in Tebrau with an impressive majority of 37,225 votes,
He obtained 64,535 of the total votes against Hou’s 27,310 and PAS’ Abdullah Husin’s 12,098, before quitting the party in February 2021 to be government-friendly, and later co-founded PBM.
Asked if Puah would have the upper hand seeing that he will be contesting under the PKR flag, Choong said he welcomes any challenge.
“I won’t underestimate my opponents. In politics, I face all kinds of challenges. At the end of the day, the voters will decide who stays and who leaves.”
Approached to contest in state polls
As to whether he will be contesting in the coming state election, Choong said he has been approached by the party to be one of its two candidates, but a final decision has not been made.
He added that if given the option, he would prefer not to take part in order to make way for other leaders in the party.
“I did not offer my name, but some wanted me to contest. Preferably, I would like to see other names instead of me.
“At the moment, we haven’t finalised anything yet. The candidates will be decided in the coming days.”
In a statement yesterday, PBM information chief Zakaria Abdul Hamid confirmed the party will vie for two seats in the coming Johor election, following a decision by its supreme council.
He did not disclose which seats the party will be contesting in, but said the candidates will be announced before nomination day on February 26.
PBM was formed late last year and comprises politicians who are mostly former PKR leaders, with Julau MP Larry Sng Wei Shien serving as its first elected president.
Johor will head to the polls in a month’s time, with the Election Commission setting March 12 as voting day. – The Vibes, February 11, 2022