Analysts expect a fiercely fought contest for the Johor polls on Jul 11, with a likely three-way fight for all 56 seats in the state assembly among the governing Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) pacts. And that’s not counting some smaller parties planning to throw their hat into the ring.
Although BN and PH are partners in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s federal unity government, they remain rivals in Johor, where PH sat on the opposition bench in the recently dissolved state assembly.
BN is defending 40 seats in the 56-member assembly. PH holds 12 seats, PN four, while the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) has one seat.
Just weeks before polling day and ahead of Nomination Day on Jun 27, Onn Hafiz – who is from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) – said he is confident Johoreans will give BN a strong mandate to continue its development agenda, while cautioning voters against parties that “make empty promises”.
UMNO is a BN lynchpin party.
At the same time, he stressed that a BN victory in Johor should not be viewed as a reliable indicator of the coalition’s standing nationwide, given the state’s unique concerns and priorities.
“Most Johoreans are saying, ‘please continue this momentum’. They want us to achieve greatness for Johor and ensure that this (state) government continues to look after their welfare and well-being,” said the incumbent Machap assemblyman.
“In my view, what happens in Johor does not necessarily have an impact at the national level because the issues we face in Johor may be different from those faced nationally.
“So while the election outcome here may provide some indication, my main focus is on winning the Johor state election,” he added.
BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had earlier said that a victory in Johor for the coalition could serve for a wider “blue wave” comeback nationwide – in a reference to the coalition’s official colour that is used in its logo.
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