Johor BN says it will not form a coalition government with other parties
JOHOR BAHRU - Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) will not form a coalition government with any other poli-tical party if it wins the July 11 state election, said its chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The caretaker Menteri Besar said BN’s position remains firm despite criticism and pressure it has faced since anno
By Sph Media Limited
JOHOR BAHRU - Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) will not form a coalition government with any other poli-tical party if it wins the July 11 state election, said its chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The caretaker Menteri Besar said BN’s position remains firm despite criticism and pressure it has faced since announ-cing on May 16 that the state coalition would contest all 56 state seats in the upcoming election.
He stressed that BN’s refu-sal to work with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) should not be interpreted as a rejection of any community, saying the coalition remained committed to repre-senting Johor’s multiracial population.
“Not cooperating with DAP does not mean we reject any race because they are a political party. Our decision is based on differen-ces in approach and ideology,” he said at the announcement of Johor BN candidates for the upcoming state polls. .
He urged Johoreans to judge them based on their work and performance and for the state’s future.
He also reminded BN candidates that their nominations are not rewards or privileges but a major responsibility and trust bestowed upon them.
Addressing party members who were not selected to contest, Onn Hafiz appealed for unity and urged them to continue suppor-ting BN’s campaign, saying the struggle is bigger than any individual or position.
Meanwhile, BN coalition partner, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president Wee Ka Siong said seven out of the 15 candidates were young people from its youth and Beliawanis wings.
“Be humble, work hard. Every seat is not easy in view of the dynamic of politics today with so many parties interested to contest.
“You may not be able to predict the voting pattern,” said Wee.
Another coalition partner, the Malaysian Indian Congress vice-president M. Asojan, urged voters to focus on choosing a government rather than individual candidates.
Calling on the public to support BN on polling day, Asojan said the coalition’s track record of governing Johor and addressing the needs of various communities should be the key consideration for voters.
“The Indian community in this state had benefited from a number of initiatives implemented under the leadership of Onn Hafiz, including efforts to resolve longstanding issues involving non-Muslim places of worship, Tamil schools and community facilities,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK