JOHOR BAHRU, Newly elected Mahkota assemblyman Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah took his oath of office during the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Johor State Legislative Assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar here today. Syed Hussien, 40, when taking his oath before Johor State Assembly speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, pledged to fulfil his duties as an assemblyman with utmost sincerity. 'I also pledge to defend and uphold the Johor State Constitution,' said the Kluang UMNO Youth chief. In last Saturday's Mahkota state by-election, Syed Hussien, representing the Unity Government, secured a resounding victory with a 20,648-vote majority over his Perikatan Nasional (PN) challenger Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, who received only 7,347 votes. The by-election was held following the death of its incumbent Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2, while she was receiving treatment at the Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital, Kluang. Meanwhile, the Johor State Assembly extended its condol ences to Sharifah Azizah's family before the session commenced. 'The late Sharifah Azizah served as Penawar assemblyman from 2018 to 2022 and as Mahkota assemblyman from March 2022 until her passing on Aug 2, 2024. May her soul be placed among the pious,' said Mohd Puad. In the 2022 state election, Sharifah Azizah, who was also the former Johor Wanita UMNO chief, won the Mahkota seat with a majority of 5,166 votes defeating Pakatan Harapan candidate Muhammad Taqiuddin Cheman, Mohamad Nor Lingan (Perikatan Nasional) and Mohamed Noor Suleiman (Warisan). Source: BERNAMA News Agency