He expressed surprise over PH’s choice of 66-year-old Karmaine Sardini, the PPBM division chief in Tanjung Piai.

“I don’t mean to insult him, but he is 66 years old, which is out of our expectations. The New Malaysia is supposed to allow more space for young candidates, but suddenly they’ve nominated someone who’s already on ‘pension’.

“But what can we do? If we question them, they’ll tell us that a 94-year-old can be prime minister,” he said at the Parliament lobby.

Ismail said BN’s candidate will be younger than Karmaine, although he added that age is “subjective”.

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had been expected to name its candidate at a gathering in Pontian yesterday, but he did not do so except hint that the choice will be a “Johor local”.

He said Johor BN chairman Jasni Mohammad will make the announcement at the “most suitable time”.

Earlier today, Gerakan named its deputy secretary-general Wendy Subramaniam as the party’s candidate. She is 38.

The by-election, to be held on Nov 16, was triggered by the death of PPBM’s Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, of heart complications on Sept 21.

Nomination day is Nov 2.