Pakatan’s Sharon Teo rejects ‘parachute candidate’ label, cites years under Salahuddin’s mentorship

JOHOR BHARU, July 1 — Her experience serving as a special officer to the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub has shaped the political values and approach adopted by Sharon Teo Siew Hui, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Permas, who has pledged to place public service at the centre of her agenda if given the mandate in the Johor State Election.

Teo, 36, said she gained invaluable leadership lessons from the late Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, particularly in humility, accessibility and a steadfast commitment to serving the people regardless of race or background.

She described the late leader, widely associated with the title “Bapa Rahmah Malaysia”, as the primary inspiration behind her political journey.

“I joined Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in 2018 because he was my mentor. Before that, I only supported him voluntarily, but after getting to know him better, I was inspired by his character and the way he served the people.

“He was a very humble person. That is the spirit I want to bring to Permas,” she said in an interview with Bernama today.

Teo said accompanying the late Salahuddin throughout several general elections and state elections gave her a deeper understanding that being an elected representative goes beyond receiving complaints—it requires ensuring issues are followed through until they are resolved.

“I still remember how he personally monitored the progress of public complaints until late at night. Sometimes, even close to midnight, he would send WhatsApp messages asking whether people’s problems had been resolved.

“That is the approach I want to bring to Permas,” she said.

Responding to claims that she was a “parachute candidate”, Teo dismissed the label, saying it did not reflect her political journey.

She said she has been actively involved with Amanah since 2018, beginning as an ordinary member before serving as Assistant Secretary of Amanah Johor and later becoming head of Amanah Johor Wanita Muda (WARDA).

Teo added that Permas is also familiar territory, as she frequently accompanied the late Salahuddin on campaign visits and community engagements in the area during previous elections.

She said the reception from voters during the first five days of campaigning had strengthened her confidence to continue engaging residents from various backgrounds.

Among the issues most frequently raised by voters, she said, were infrastructure concerns including potholes, deteriorating back lanes behind commercial premises, traffic congestion and the need to upgrade public facilities.

Teo also pledged to focus on young people, especially first-time voters and school leavers, by engaging them through social media outreach and e-sports initiatives.

“If elected, she said her first 100 days in office would focus on identifying the most urgent issues affecting the Permas constituency, gathering comprehensive data and developing phased solutions.

“My three main priorities are to establish PermasKu as a one-stop centre for managing public complaints so that every issue is monitored until resolution, and conduct a comprehensive infrastructure audit across Permas to identify urgent priorities.

“I will also go directly to every area to engage residents and develop action plans based on real community needs rather than assumptions,” she said.

The Permas state seat will see a four-cornered contest involving Teo, the incumbent and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Baharudin Mohamed Taib, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) candidate Dr Zamil Najwah and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate T. Vela.

For the latest updates on the 16th Johor State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/. — Bernama