Landscape in Johor gets more challenging
The state is Barisan’s bastion but Pakatan is on the offensive
JOHOR BARU: Tonight’s outcome will be anybody’s guess, but for a state that has often been a Barisan Nasional’s fixed deposit, the political landscape seems to be getting challenging with rough terrain out there.
Many of Barisan’s parliamentary seats will see stiff competition with the Opposition expected to make further inroads into the state where it won 16 state and five parliamentary seats in GE13. PAS has three state seats.
Among the hotly contested parliamentary seats are Pagoh, Iskandar Puteri, Johor Baru, Pasir Gudang, Segamat, Labis, Tebrau, Muar, Ledang, Batu Pahat and Ayer Hitam.
The Ayer Hitam fight between MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong is dubbed the “most intensely contested seat” with both sides going all out to win over the voters.
The Johor Jaya state seat, on the other hand, is known in jest as a “cartoon war” with both MCA’s Datuk Tan Cher Puk and incumbent Liow Cai Tung of DAP coming up with animated figures to spread their messages to voters.
Any side which is able to cross the 29seat mark will be able to lay claim as the next state government (there are 56 state seats in Johor).
Barisan, which held twothirds of the state assembly with its 38seat victory in GE13, seems set to keep Johor with a simple majority this time.
But the Opposition is not backing down. In fact, it is gunning for an optimistic 30 to 32 state seats.
And the names touted to be mentri besar from the opposition camp is either Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or Parti Amanah Negara deputy president Salahuddin Ayub.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who is contesting in the state seat of Permas and Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat, is upbeat about getting some 60,000 voters to pick Barisan in Pasir Gudang.
He has not just been engaging with the local voters but also Sabahans and Sarawakians working in his constituency to vote for Barisan.
State Parti Amanah Negara deputy chairman Dzulkefly Ahmad said they were targeting a swing of at least 16 marginal seats.
“Judging by the large crowds of all races in our ceramah, we feel that the landscape of Johor politics is changing,” he said, adding that they would know the results by 9pm today.
Invoke, a group run by Rafizi Ramli, predicted that Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Mohamed Khaled would be defeated.
But Hishammuddin has come out to say that Barisan would prove that the prediction was all wrong.
All the parties have put up a strong show of fiery speeches at ceramah or statements on social platforms.
Some have also organised concerts, made appeals via video clips and distributed booklets detailing their election promises to woo voters.
It will indeed be a big surprise if Johor falls to the Opposition tonight.