Dr Adham Baba, former Health Minister and two-term Pasir Raja assemblyman, is running for the Pasir Raja seat in the 16th Johor state election under Barisan Nasional (BN). He will face candidates from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the election scheduled for July 11, with early voting set for July 7 [1, 2].
The list of eligible candidates for Pasir Raja was announced on June 27 by returning officer Nurul Aishah Mohamadon at Dewan Arena Segitiga, Kota Tinggi [1, 2].
Dr Adham served as Pasir Raja assemblyman from 2008 to 2018 and won the Tenggara parliamentary seat in 2018 [1, 2]. He told reporters he aims to focus on his close ties with the local community, education projects, and attracting high-tech investment for the benefit of Pasir Raja’s young voters [3].
"We have clear records and data. In Pasir Raja and the Tenggara parliamentary constituency alone, there are about 2,300 young people studying at public higher education institutions whom we have continuously guided and provided with targeted assistance," Dr Adham stated [3].
He added, "My goal is to attract high-tech investments to this area. With large-scale investments, we can create more high-quality jobs for our young people, so they will not have to migrate elsewhere in search of employment." He also emphasized his intent to reach as many voters as possible and ensure stability and prosperity for Pasir Raja [3].
Pasir Raja has around 29,818 registered voters, with young voters making up 54% of the electorate, giving youth issues a significant role in the campaign [3].
In nearby seats, the Skudai state seat faces a four-cornered contest involving BN's Nicol Tan, PH's Kartiyaini Jeyapalan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia's Amir Syafiq Ameer Soekre, and Parti Bersama Malaysia's Eugene Chua. Former Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim of PH is not defending the seat after winning it in 2022 with a 13,943-vote majority [4, 5]. Nicol Tan said he hopes to improve the poor housing conditions in parts of the area [5]. Kartiyaini, a local resident, said she would work toward holistic development for Skudai's residents [5].
The Tiram seat will also see a four-way fight, including BN's Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman, who previously served as Puteri Wangsa assemblyman and as a deputy prime minister’s special officer. BN retained Tiram in 2022 with an 8,098-vote majority [6].
The Johor polling day is set for July 11, with early voting on July 7, marking a critical vote for the state legislature [1, 2].
