JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state assembly was dissolved on Monday (Jun 1), paving the way for snap polls to be held within the next 60 days.
Speaking during a special press conference held at his home in Johor Bahru on Monday, Onn Hafiz said that the dissolution was signed by Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Ibrahim on Monday, with the consent of Malaysia’s king and Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.
“This dissolution is carried out to make way for the democratic process through the Johor State Election, subject to the official determination of the Election Commission of Malaysia,” said Onn Hafiz.
“This decision has been made with the intention of ensuring that the people of Johor continue to have a stable and strong government, God willing,” he added.
Now that the state assembly has been dissolved, the election must be called within 60 days at the discretion of the Election Commission.
The 16th Johor state polls must be held by Jul 31.
It is the prerogative of the state’s ruler or governor to dissolve the state assemblies on the advice of the chief minister, who is typically from the state’s ruling party or coalition.
CNA earlier reported that the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was preparing for early state elections in Johor and Melaka, quoting sources from within the coalition’s lynchpin party United Malay National Organisation (UMNO).
Johor’s state election is only due by mid-2027, while Melaka’s is due by early 2027.
Analysts said that if victorious in early state polls, it would allow BN to rebuild momentum independently of the federal unity government, positioning itself more strongly ahead of a general election due by early 2028.
There are 56 seats in Johor state assembly, with 40 currently held by BN, 12 by Pakatan Harapan, three by Perikatan Nasional and one by Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA).
Although BN is aligned with PH at the federal level, they are rivals at the state level in Johor and Melaka.
The Johor state elections are likely to see BN and PH go head-to-head in tightly fought contests. Perikatan Nasional (PN), the main opposition bloc nationally, is seen as a secondary political player in Johor.
Last month, all three coalitions BN, PH and PN announced that they would contest all 56 seats in the next Johor polls, setting the stage for potential three-cornered fights across the southern state.
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