Taking the good with the bad
It has been an eventful year in Johor for the Pakatan government, with many challenges still in the process of being resolved.
PAKATAN HARAPAN came to power with much pomp in Johor, when they took over Barisan Nasional’s “fixed deposit” state in the 14th General Election.
In fact. they won big as they managed to wrestle control of the state assembly and now hold a two-thirds majority.
At least three assemblymen and an MP from Umno have since “jumped ship” to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in the past year.
However, it has not been an easy time for the new government as they had to face many challenges along the way.
As a local politician remarked: “It is never boring in Johor. There is always something good or bad happening.”
One of the major issues that the new Pakatan government faced was the sudden change in Mentri Besar along with two other state executive councillors.
The state government also came under fire for its handling of the Sungai Kim Kim pollution incident in March.
Besides that, the public spat between Putrajaya and the Johor palace over several issues also got tongues wagging with talk that the relationship between the two sides had deteriorated badly and how this would affect Johor in the long run.
The Pakatan government also courted issues with neighbouring Singapore with regards to airspace, maritime borders and even the sale of raw water to Singapore.
While some of these matters have been resolved, the sale of raw water at three sen per 1,000 gallons to the island republic is still under discussion with Malaysia wanting a much higher price.
All this is further complicated by the indefinite postponement of the High Speed Rail (HSR) project, while the Rapid Transit System (RTS) has been delayed for six months at Malaysia’s request.
Despite the many challenges, the Pakatan government announced that it was able to deliver on its 100-days promises.
These include giving free water to the lower income group, having open tenders for projects, introducing a Johor Medical Card and ensuring that the Mentri Besar’s term is limited to two five-year terms.
Other pledges that Pakatan has fulfilled include abolish quotas for the state’s ruling parties in allocating public housing, open ballots for public housing applications and special incentives for students who are accepted into higher learning institutions.
Johor PKR chief Hassan Abdul Karim said that while it is commendable that the state government has been able to fulfil its 100-days promises, they must do more.
“They need to help the people address issues such as the rising cost of living, more affordable housing, land issues, easing the economic plight of traders and tackling the massive traffic congestion on the Johor Causeway.
“The honeymoon period is over. We need to start working harder to deliver or else people will throw us out in GE15,” he warned.
The Pasir Gudang MP added that the state government under Mentri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal needs to stand firm on certain matters and not be bullied by anyone.
“I am hoping that Johor Pakatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will call for a meeting soon as issues come up.
“In the days before we became the government we met more often, but now that we are in power, we should find more time for such meetings again to discuss and resolve issues,” he added.
Hassan hoped that the new Mentri Besar would provide a clear direction on what the state government aimed to achieve before the next general election.
Meanwhile, business groups are hoping that Pakatan will do more to spur local businesses in the state.
Johor Indian Business Association chairman P. Sivakumar said the government should not just have slogans stating that they are “business friendly”, but must also ensure that local councils implement and adhere to these policies.
He also pointed out that more should be done to help the Indian community in the state.
“It is sad that the community only got RM3mil when the state announced more than a billion ringgit during their state budget.
“Even during the Barisan government’s administration, the community was allocated RM8mil,” he said, adding that people were hoping that Pakatan would increase the allocation for the benefit of the community.