PAS names Normala Sudirman for Tenang

(The Malaysian Insider) – PAS Muslimat executive committee member Normala Sudirman will contest the Tenang by-election for Pakatan Rakyat (PR), party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang announced tonight.

The 38-year-old secondary school teacher is the first woman candidate for PAS in a by-election since Election 2008.

The January 30 vote is the 14th by-election since the March 2008 general election. It is also the first to be held in Umno political fortress and birthplace – Johor.

Normala is the PAS Muslimat chief for Labis, where Abdul Hadi made his announcement tonight.

She was chosen from a shortlist of five to contest the seat vacated by Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Sulaiman Taha, 59, who died last December 17.

In Election 2008, Sulaiman defeated PAS’s Mohd Saim Siran with a majority of 2,492 votes.

BN will name its candidate on January 19, three days before nomination day on January 22.