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June 24, 2026

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Johor polls: Caretaker chief minister seeks strong mandate, warns against rivals’ ‘empty promises’

Onn Hafiz Ghazi tells CNA he is focused on securing a Barisan Nasional victory in the Jul 11 polls, which he says should not be viewed as an indicator of the coalition’s support nationwide.

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JOHOR BAHRU: When Onn Hafiz Ghazi first took office as Johor’s chief minister in 2022, he felt that the southern state had yet to live up to its full potential in development and economic growth.

More than four years later, as he stands ready to lead his political coalition’s campaign in the upcoming Johor state polls, he tells CNA in an interview that he is happy to see “positive change” and score “small wins” in the state’s growth.

“When I first took office, my belief was we wanted to move from good to great. That was the vision and with god’s grace … I think we’re starting to see the results,” said the 47-year-old on Monday (Jun 22), adding that there is still much work to be done.

Under Onn Hafiz’s leadership, Johor recorded the highest gross domestic product (GDP) growth among all Malaysian states in 2024 – at 6.4 per cent, which was higher than the national average of 5.1 per cent. In 2025, it attracted a record RM110 billion (US$26.6 billion) in approved investments, surpassing even Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

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Johor Barisan Nasional chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi attends the launch of the Johor Barisan Nasional election machinery in Iskandar Puteri on Jun 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

The growth is spurred in part by the “Maju Johor 2030” long-term agenda by the state government that was previously laid out by Onn Hafiz when he took power in 2022, which sets out Johor’s development target through areas such as economic growth and infrastructure upgrades, among others.

He said that one of his biggest challenge in leading Johor to achieve such goals was “changing the mindset (of civil servants) that business is not as usual”.

“But I’m starting to see that very positive change because, you know, when people start to see results, then they start believing that it can be done. So we’ve got these small, small wins,” he said.

Johor’s developments, however, have exposed growing concerns – with rising costs of living and housing, infrastructure strain as well as uneven wealth distribution. Its annual inflation rate hit 2.3 per cent in December 2025 – the highest among all Malaysian states – according to data from the Department of Statistics.

The caretaker chief minister has also come under fire recently over his refusal to work with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) should his coalition be elected back to power. Onn Hafiz has doubled down on his stance and said that political arguments with the party should not be conflated with issues of race.

DAP is multi-racial in outlook but predominantly Chinese in composition.

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.

PLANS FOR JOHOR TO BE REGIONAL ECONOMIC CATALYST: ONN HAFIZ

Onn Hafiz, who is also BN Johor chief, attributed the southern state’s progress in recent years to initiatives such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which is set to facilitate the movement of businesses from across the Causeway.

He added that the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, slated to begin operations in early 2027, will further strengthen connectivity between Johor Bahru and Woodlands while easing congestion at the Causeway.

With both projects gathering momentum, Onn Hafiz believes Johor is well-positioned to become a key economic growth driver for Malaysia and the wider region.

“We’re very grateful, but the best is yet to come. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re going to continue on this journey and we’re going to really start tightening the screws and ensuring that there’s ease of doing business,” he said.

“We’re very grateful to our friends in Singapore who have agreed to work with Johor when it comes to the JS-SEZ … and if we continue to work together, the JS-SEZ can be a catalyst for growth, not just for Malaysia but for Singapore and Southeast Asia.”

At the same time, Onn Hafiz acknowledged that more needs to be done to raise incomes and improve access to affordable housing for Johoreans.

CNA previously reported that cost-of-living pressures, particularly concerns over housing affordability, could emerge as a key issue in the upcoming election.

An aerial view of Batu Pahat town on Jun 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

Onn Hafiz outlined that in 2025, the state government helped create 25,000 jobs via the Johor Talent Development Council, with 9,000 of them considered “high-paying salaries” of RM4,000 and above.

“If we continue on this momentum, I believe we can achieve more,” he said.

On housing, Onn Hafiz said the state aims to accelerate the construction of affordable homes, targeting about 100,000 units by 2030. According to local media reports, about 20,000 affordable units have been completed as of December 2025, with another 10,000 expected this year.

Johor’s caretaker Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi poses for a photo after the interview at his official residence in Johor Bahru on Jun 22, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

He also plans to expand the Johor Care Voucher programme, modelled after Singapore’s Community Development Council (CDC) voucher scheme, which he observed during a visit to Geylang Serai Market in 2025.

The pilot programme in Kampung Melayu Majidee in Johor Bahru provided residents with vouchers to purchase groceries and other essential items.

“The people in that community are very happy, and we want to replicate this scheme in other parts of Johor,” said Onn Hafiz, who is widely tipped to continue in the chief minister’s role should BN return to power in the state.

NAVIGATING RIVALRY WITH PH IN JOHOR

Onn Hafiz was also asked how BN reconciles being a partner with PH at the federal level while remaining a political rival in Johor.

He noted that since the 2022 state election, Johor has been governed solely by BN, without PH’s participation in the state administration.

“So nothing much has changed. And the way we navigate over the past few years is that we’ve always been professional. At the end of the day, what matters is serving all four million Johoreans, regardless of whether they voted for me or support me,” said Onn Hafiz.

“I have to serve everyone. I believe the prime minister and his Cabinet practise the same values at the national level because they are responsible for all 36 million Malaysians.”

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) and UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during a unity government convention in Kuala Lumpur on May 14, 2023. (Photo: CNA/ Fadza Ishak)

The relationship between BN Johor and the federal leadership has come under strain in recent months.

Last month, Onn Hafiz announced that BN would contest all 56 seats in the state election, prompting Anwar to warn that such a move could trigger an early general election.

And at the launch of the BN election machinery earlier in June, Onn Hafiz had said that he would rather give up the chief minister’s post than sit at the same table as the DAP – a PH component party.

Anwar has since criticised BN Johor’s approach, describing it as arrogant.

“Governments may come and go, but the constitutional framework remains our guide.

“When it comes to who should stand alongside the prime minister in government and the Cabinet, we must respect every community and every race,” he said, stressing that “no community should be marginalised”.

Despite the public sparring, Onn Hafiz said he believes Johor voters will judge parties based on their track records.

“There are obviously parties and individuals from outside Johor who are very interested in the state at the moment, but people can see who has been delivering and who has merely been making empty promises,” he said.

He added that a strong mandate for BN would reflect voters’ desire for stability and continuity.

“I think a strong result for BN in Johor will signal that Johoreans want stability.

“Bangsa Johor – Malays, Chinese, Indians and Orang Asli – must come together to ensure we have a strong mandate so that we can bring this beautiful state to the next stage.”