P. Pannir Selvam

Summary

P. Pannir Selvam is the MIC-Barisan Nasional candidate for the N46 Perling state seat in the 16th Johor State Election on 11 July 2026, contesting in a three-cornered race against PH-DAP and Bersama. Aged 54, he is a five-term local councillor who has been active in the Perling area and has cited environment, safety and traffic congestion as his campaign priorities. The Perling seat, with 109,992 registered voters and a Chinese-majority mixed electorate, has been held by DAP since the constituency's creation in 2018.

Biography

P. Pannir Selvam (also rendered in some sources as Pannir Selvan Paliksina) is a Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) politician and the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the N46 Perling state seat in the 16th Johor State Election, scheduled for 11 July 2026 [1][2]. Aged 54 at the time of nomination, he draws on a record as a five-term local councillor who has worked extensively within the Perling area [2]. He was nominated to contest Perling after BN's internal seat-allocation process saw MIC obtain the constituency in exchange for Tenggaroh, which was transferred to UMNO [3][4]. Johor Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed has stated that he first proposed fielding Pannir Selvam in Perling four years ago, recognising the seat's mixed electorate and a growing Indian community in the area [3]. The Perling constituency was established in 2018 and has been held by DAP at every election since its creation [3]. Based on 2022 electoral data, the constituency's registered voter base comprises approximately 46% Chinese, 38% Malay, 13% Indian and 3% others, out of a total of 109,992 registered voters [3][1]. In the 2022 state election, the seat was won by then-Pakatan Harapan candidate Liew Chin Tong with 18,628 votes and a majority of 3,347 [3]. Pannir Selvam is contesting in a three-cornered race against PH-DAP's Alan Tee Boon Tsong and Bersama's Boo Wei Han [5]. He has identified environment, public safety, and traffic congestion as priority issues for the constituency [2].

Known for

P. Pannir Selvam is principally known as a five-term local councillor in the Perling area of Johor Bahru, representing MIC's grassroots community engagement in the constituency [2]. He is BN's chosen candidate to contest the DAP-held Perling seat in the 2026 Johor state election — the first time MIC has been allocated the seat, following an internal BN seat swap with UMNO [3][4]. His nomination reflects BN's strategy to harness the Indian voter bloc and the growing Indian community in Perling's multiracial electorate [3].

Political positions

Based on public statements ahead of the 2026 Johor state election, Pannir Selvam has highlighted environment, public safety, and traffic congestion as the key issues he intends to address if elected to the Perling state seat [2]. He has framed his candidacy around local service delivery and his track record of community engagement as a multi-term councillor [2]. No published record of positions on broader national policy issues — such as cost of living, education, or healthcare — has been identified in available sources at the time of this profile.

Before politics

1. Multiple terms prior to 2026Served as a local councillor in the Perling area for five consecutive terms, building a community service record in the constituency.⛓

Political career

1. June 2026Named as Barisan Nasional–MIC candidate for N46 Perling in the 16th Johor State Election, following an internal BN seat-allocation swap in which MIC obtained Perling and UMNO took Tenggaroh.⛓
2. 27 June 2026Nomination papers filed on Nomination Day for the N46 Perling seat. Contest confirmed as a three-cornered race between BN-MIC (Pannir Selvam), PH-DAP (Alan Tee Boon Tsong) and Bersama (Boo Wei Han).⛓

Election history

• 2026N46 Perling, JohorPending⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentJohor Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed stated he first proposed fielding Pannir Selvam in Perling four years ago, citing the seat's growing Indian community and BN's strategy to secure Indian voter support. He noted the seat was previously allocated to MCA but has now been given to MIC.⛓
• OppositionDAP strategic director Liew Chin Tong, the outgoing Perling assemblyman, indicated PH is taking a cautious approach in Perling and other mixed seats not contested by PN, acknowledging the risk of PN-aligned votes shifting to BN.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe Perling constituency (N46) has 109,992 registered voters. Based on 2022 electoral data, the electorate comprises approximately 46% Chinese, 38% Malay, 13% Indian and 3% others. The seat has been held by DAP at every election since it was created in 2018. In the 2022 state election, DAP's Liew Chin Tong won with 18,628 votes and a majority of 3,347.⛓