UMNO defends Johor polls timing as newly relaunched Bersama party says it will contest state election
Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) – helmed by former federal ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad – said that further discussions would be held with party representatives in Johor to identify the seats the party would contest.
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JOHOR BAHRU: Senior leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) have defended the timing of Johor’s impending state election, even as a newly relaunched party helmed by two former federal ministers announced on Wednesday (Jun 3) it would enter the race, setting the stage for four-cornered fights across parts of the southern Malaysian state.
The Johor state assembly was dissolved on Monday, as announced by Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi, paving the way for snap polls to be held within the next 60 days.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) – which is led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – and opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) had previously confirmed they will contest the polls.
On Wednesday, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) – which was relaunched by former ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad – announced it would contest the election.
Although UMNO’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is aligned with Anwar’s PH at the federal level, they are rivals at the state level in Johor.
Several UMNO leaders have said that Onn Hafiz has the right to call for polls at a time when the state’s ruling party believes is appropriate, local news outlet The Star reported.
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.
UMNO vice-president Khaled Nordin on Tuesday said that “no time is a good time” to call for the polls, given the southern state’s packed calendar of events.
Concerns over weather conditions and festive seasons have also made it difficult to identify suitable periods for elections, he added. With the state assembly dissolved on Jun 1, the 16th Johor state polls have to be held by Jul 31. It was due only by June 2027.
“Johor only has a few months left this year. By November, December and January, we face monsoon and flood season, especially in areas such as Kota Tinggi,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
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The Kota Tinggi Member of Parliament and former Johor chief minister also said that February and March coincide with Hari Raya celebrations and the festive season in Johor is lengthy.
He added that if the state government believed the timing was appropriate, the matter should ultimately be left to the people.
“As long as there is an election, the people will have the opportunity to decide,” said Khaled, who is currently Malaysia’s defence minister.
Separately, UMNO information chief Azalina Othman Said said the decision to dissolve the legislative assembly was made following continued positive support from the people of Johor for the state government’s leadership under BN.
“I see a great deal of positive support from the people of Johor towards the state government’s leadership, maybe these are among the factors,” she added, as quoted by The Star.
On Tuesday, BN chairman and Malaysia’s deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that Onn Hafiz will remain the coalition’s “poster boy” for the state polls.
Zahid also said that his coalition was aiming to win over 40 state seats. Onn Hafiz had previously said that BN will contest all 56 state seats.
In the 2022 state polls, BN won 40 seats, PH secured 12, PN won three and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) won one.
Zahid also said that Onn Hafiz had submitted the list of proposed candidates, adding that the lineup would be finalised after he had consulted other leaders in the coalition.
Meanwhile, former economy minister Rafizi and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi announced that Bersama – their new political vehicle – would contest the election.
Bersama is a minor political party registered 10 years ago. It took part in the 2018 general elections but lost in all five parliamentary and 20 state seats it had contested in Penang.
In a statement, the former members of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said that further discussions would be held on Wednesday with Bersama’s representatives in Johor to identify the seats the party would contest.
“The 2026 Johor state election gives Bersama the opportunity to introduce itself to Johor voters despite it being less than a month after Bersama was relaunched on May 17,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This will also allow Bersama to establish its election machinery in a short span of time and test its strength in preparing for other future elections.”
Previously, CNA had reported that the BN coalition was preparing early state elections in Johor and Melaka, quoting sources from within UMNO, the coalition’s lynchpin party.
Meanwhile, observers quoted by local media have reportedly said that the Johor state assembly dissolution could spark a series of state polls in the coming months, not just in Melaka but also Negeri Sembilan and Perlis.
Separately, the current term for the Sarawak legislative assembly ends in February 2027 and a state election must be called by April that year.
Source: Agencies/ia(as)
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