by

June 8, 2026

8 minutes

Read Time

BN sees Johor snap polls as vehicle for ‘blue wave’ comeback nationwide, says chairman Zahid

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had earlier warned the component parties within his Pakatan Harapan coalition against clashing with Barisan Nasional as they are still partners in the federal government.

Read a summary of this article on FAST.

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is banking on the upcoming Johor snap polls as a launchpad for nationwide resurgence, amid its plans to contest all 56 legislative seats in the southern state.

BN Chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday (Jun 7) that a victory in Johor would not only strengthen the coalition’s foothold in the state, but serve as a catalyst for a wider “blue wave” comeback, strengthening its position as a key political force, reported local news outlet New Straits Times (NST).

Blue is BN’s official colour and is used in its logo.

“The Johor state election is the true point of determination. From Johor we rebuild strength, from Johor we reignite the flame of struggle, and from Johor we show that the blue wave is back,” Zahid was reported as saying at the Johor BN election machinery launch at EduCity Indoor Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.

“We want to send a clear signal to the nation that BN remains relevant, remains strong, and continues to be the people’s choice.”

Currently at the federal level, BN is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government alongside his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition as well as Borneo-based parties.

While BN – whose lynchpin party is the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) – works with PH on a federal level, they are rivals in Johor.

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can

Show Less

Barisan Nasional supporters attend the launch of the Johor BN election machinery in Iskandar Puteri on Jun 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

Johor’s state assembly was dissolved on Jun 1, paving the way for a snap election to be held within the next 60 days by Jul 31, nearly a year ahead before it is due in June 2027.

Its last polls, held in March 2022, formed Johor’s 15th state legislative assembly that was dominated by BN, which held 40 seats. PH occupied 12 seats, opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) three and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) one.

With PN planning to contest all 56 seats in Johor, the coalitions are gearing up to face a three-cornered fight in most of the state. Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) – which was relaunched by former ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad – announced it would contest solo in the election.

Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister and UMNO president, said that Johor voters must choose between stability offered by BN, citing caretaker Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi as proof of the coalition’s governing record while alluding to uncertainty in other political blocs.

“The Bangsa Johor (Johor Nation) can study in Johor, work in Johor, own homes in Johor and build families in Johor. This is the result of ongoing efforts by the state government today.” he said, adding that the state had delivered on jobs, housing and long-term economic opportunities under Onn Hafiz’s leadership.

“Johor must become a model state that not only attracts investment but also ensures the benefits of development are enjoyed by all levels of society.”

Zahid also dismissed claims that the dissolution of the Johor state assembly as “political drama”, claiming that the move was necessary to return the vote to the people to choose a stable government, NST reported.

“The people of Johor are the highest judges in a democracy. They have the right … to choose a government capable of providing stability, and to assess who is truly working and who is only good at making promises,” he said.

“Those who wanted to make Johor their power base are now busy defending what remains of their influence. Those who previously boasted about wanting to topple us are today facing fractures among themselves.”

Zahid also said on Sunday that BN will finalise its full list of candidates “within a short period from now”, adding that seat allocation is almost finalised and that it will negotiate with component parties.

At BN’s election machinery launch on Sunday, Onn Hafiz said the coalition would not work with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) if given the mandate to form the Johor state government, reported local news outlet The Star.

DAP is the largest component party within the PH coalition and currently holds 40 parliamentary seats in Malaysia’s lower house.

The Johor BN chairman explained that the state’s political landscape differed from the federal level, adding that he would rather not be chief minister than “sit at the same table with them”, referring to the DAP.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke clapped back at Onn Hafiz’s remarks in a Facebook post later on Sunday, calling out the Johor BN chairman’s arrogance.

“You don’t want to sit at the same table with DAP. Great! Carry on with the arrogance,” Loke wrote in the brief post.

“Your president sits next to the DAP secretary-general every week (at the Cabinet meeting). Just so you know. Thank you,” he said, sharing a photo of him seated next to Zahid.

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

On Monday, Onn Hafiz responded to Loke in a Facebook post, reiterating his stance that DAP “has never been and will never be” part of a Johor BN government.

“This is not about arrogance. This is also not about race. This is about principles, mandate and responsibility to Bangsa Johor,” he said.

Anwar also chimed in on the issue on Monday, cautioning against excluding any race or party from being in government after they have gained political support through a democratic process.

At BN’s election machinery launch on Sunday, Onn Hafiz also took a jab at opposition Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) – which anchors the PN coalition alongside Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) – poking at its past relationship with DAP.

DAP and Bersatu were formerly allies under PH, whose 2018 election victory was later fractured by defections that triggered the coalition’s collapse in the political realignment known as the Sheraton Move.

“We should remind Bersatu that DAP was with them in the state government,” he said, urging voters not to be swayed by claims linking Johor BN with DAP and slammed allegations that a vote for BN was equivalent to a vote for DAP.

“A HEADACHE FOR US”: ANWAR

Meanwhile, Anwar, who is PH’s chairman, had warned component parties on Saturday against clashing with BN as the coalitions were still partners in the federal government, adding that its decision to compete “created a headache for us”.

While we clash with Umno and BN today, we will be sitting next to each other at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday,” he said when launching the Johor PH election machinery in Batu Pahat.

Anwar stressed that rivalling BN was not his choice and he would have preferred to work with his government partners to contest the state polls, while deferring elections to focus on reviving the economy.

“It was their (BN) choice to call for an election. It was their (BN) choice to create political instability,” he was quoted as saying by local news outlet Free Malaysia Today (FMT).

Anwar added that it was crucial for Johor to “be on the same page”, with the state standing to benefit more from a closer coalition relationship, citing benefits from mega projects allocated to the state including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Maharani Freeport.

“We work as a team and I believe we can change Johor. Under PH, the rakyat (people) stand to benefit far more,” he was quoted as saying by FMT.