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Mohd Zaidi Japar
UMNO Batu Pahat division chief since 2023 and chairman of the board of Kejora Land Development, Mohd Zaidi Japar stands for Barisan Nasional; his candidacy followed Mohd Puad Zarkashi's departure from UMNO.
Background
- UMNO Batu Pahat division chief since March 2023, after beating the incumbent Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who was also the Rengit assemblyman and Johor assembly Speaker, by 99 votes (401 to 302) in a three-cornered contest; previously the deputy division chief.[1][2]
- Appointed chairman of the board of Kejora Land Development Sdn. Bhd. in May 2024.[3]
- Appointed Chief Whip of the Batu Pahat Municipal Council for the March 2024 to December 2025 term.[4]
- Chairman of the Penggaram state-constituency coordinating committee (JPKD); in 2021 he led an effort to help persons with disabilities register for COVID-19 vaccination in Batu Pahat, registering 60 deaf and hearing-impaired individuals.[5]
- His nomination at Rengit triggered Mohd Puad Zarkashi, an UMNO Supreme Council member and former Rengit assemblyman, to quit the party; secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi said Puad had threatened to leave and attack UMNO if his son was not picked for the seat, a pattern since GE2013.[6][7]
- In January 2026, attended a free "Back to School" haircut programme run by Batu Pahat UMNO Youth at Surau Nur Qalam, Penggaram, and contributed RM3,000 for a mihrab and RM1,500 for the surau's PA system.[8]