JOHOR BAHRU, 24 June 2026 (The Capital Post) – The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has introduced three new faces for the upcoming Johor state election, signalling a major leadership transition as Barisan Nasional (BN) moves to refresh its line-up in several constituencies.
The candidate list was announced today by Johor Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Onn Hafiz Ghazi during the coalition’s official unveiling of candidates for the state polls.
Of the four seats allocated to MIC, only Johor MIC Chairman and current state executive councillor YB Raven Kumar has previous experience as an elected state representative. Raven, who formerly served as the assemblyman for Tenggaroh, has been nominated to contest the N.04 Kemelah seat.
The party’s line-up for the upcoming election is as follows:
N.04 Kemelah – YB Raven Kumar, Johor MIC Chairman and current Johor State Executive Councillor.
N.31 Kahang – Mr. Rugendran Vellayan, Johor MIC Deputy Youth Chief.
N.46 Perling – Mr Pannir Selvam, MIC Pulai Division Chairman
N.51 Bukit Batu – Mr. Kumaran Ramakrishanan, MIC State Secretary & Parit Sulong MIC Division Chairman
The latest line-up sees MIC introducing three new candidates in Kahang, Perling and Bukit Batu, while retaining Raven Kumar as its most experienced candidate.
The announcement also marks the end of an era for several veteran MIC leaders. In Kahang, YB Vidyananthan a/l Ramanadhan, who has represented the constituency since 2008 and served four consecutive terms as assemblyman, will not be defending the seat. His place has been taken by first-time candidate Rugendran Vellayan.
Former Kemelah assemblywoman and MIC National Wanita Chief YB Saraswathy Kandasami has also not been fielded, with Raven Kumar instead selected to contest Kemelah.
In the 2022 Johor state election, MIC successfully secured four seats under the Barisan Nasional banner, namely Kahang, Tenggaroh, Bukit Batu and Kemelah. The party will now seek to defend its representation with a significantly renewed team ahead of the coming polls.
The fielding of three new faces reflects MIC’s efforts to inject fresh leadership into its Johor machinery while maintaining continuity through experienced figures such as Raven Kumar, who currently serves in the state administration and remains one of the party’s key leaders in Johor. – The Capital Post.
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