Dr Mahathir's new party in first electoral fight in Perak state by-election

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hands a letter of appointment to lawyer Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi on Aug 12, 2020. PHOTO: BERNAMA

TANJUNG MALIM - The new party of Malaysian former premier Mahathir Mohamad is contesting in an electoral fight for the first time in Perak, local media reported on Saturday (Aug 15).

The Slim by-election for a seat in the state assembly will witness a three-cornered fight between an Umno candidate and two independents.

One of the independents, Islamic lawyer Amir Khusyairi Mohd Tanusi is representing Tun Dr Mahathir's Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Fighters of the Nation Party). But as Pejuang isn't officially registered, Mr Amir, 38, is contesting as an independent.

The Umno candidate is contesting under the banner of the Barisan Nasional coalition. He is Tanjung Malim's Umno division chairman Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43.

The third candidate is former school teacher S. Santharasekaran, 45.

Polling is on Aug 29 after a 14-day campaigning period.

The state seat fell vacant after Datuk Khusairi Abdul Talib, 59, a four-term incumbent assemblyman, died of a heart attack on July 15. He was from Umno.

In the May 2018 general election, Mr Khusairi won with a 2,183-vote majority against a candidate from Parti Islam SeMalaysia and another who contested under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat flag.

The Slim state ward is part of the Tanjung Malim federal constituency. The Slim seat has 23,094 registered voters, comprising mostly Malays (75 per cent), Indians (13 per cent), Chinese (10 per cent) and others (2 per cent), Malaysiakini reported.

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