Rejects 3 party offers.
Former Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim has ruled out a return to politics despite receiving offers from three political parties ahead of the Johor state election.
The former DAP representative said her decision to leave politics remains firm and that she had politely declined all approaches.
“Other parties have approached me. I rejected the offers respectfully.
“I will not return to politics. I believe there are other ways to serve communities, and it does not necessarily have to be in the capacity of a politician,” she said.
Marina, who announced her departure from active politics on May 31, also dismissed claims circulating online that she had avoided contesting in Malay-majority constituencies.
She said she was assigned to Layang-Layang in 2021, where she established a community centre and carried out grassroots work amid expectations that she would eventually contest the seat.
At the time, she said she was a political newcomer tasked with building support in a predominantly Malay rural constituency and was expected to challenge then state executive councillor Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Marina also highlighted her role in the 2022 general election campaign in Mersing, where she served as campaign manager for a candidate in a constituency with a Malay electorate of about 76 per cent.
She said her track record contradicted allegations that she had avoided Malay-majority areas.
“A Malay woman who has campaigned in villages and Felda settlements, and even had someone spit in her face during campaigning, is hardly someone afraid of entering Malay areas,” she said.
Marina stressed that her decision to leave politics was not driven by dissatisfaction, disappointment or a desire for an easier path.
Instead, she said it was made after careful consideration and with the support of volunteers who had accompanied her throughout her political journey.
She paid tribute to her multiracial team of volunteers, describing them as the backbone of her work and an important factor in her decision.
Marina rose to prominence after winning the Skudai state seat in the 2022 Johor election.
She has since confirmed her withdrawal from active politics and plans to continue serving the community through non-political avenues.
DAP Johor has previously described her departure as a loss to the party.