KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has invited Johor caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to join him on a KTM Komuter Selatan journey next week, days after the Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said he would rather give up the state’s top job than sit at the same table with DAP.

The remarks come ahead of the Johor state election, with BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) expected to contest against one another in the state despite being partners in the federal unity government.

Speaking at the launch of PH’s election machinery in Seremban yesterday, Loke said DAP had never regarded anyone as an enemy and remained open to working with different political parties.

“If there are those who say they do not want to sit with DAP, that is fine. We do not force anyone,” said Loke, who is also DAP secretary-general, as reported by Sinar Harian.

“But I would like to remind them that DAP is still part of the federal government, and I remain the transport minister.

“I would also like to inform Datuk Onn Hafiz that I will be in Johor Bahru next Tuesday to attend the launch of the KTM Komuter Selatan service.

“I would like to invite him to sit with me on the KTM Komuter Selatan from Kulai to Johor Bahru. Even though he has said he does not want to sit with DAP, that is alright. I am still extending the invitation for him to sit beside me on the train,” he added, according to the national daily.

Loke said DAP had experience working with various political parties, including PAS, for the benefit of the people and the country.

Onn Hafiz had previously said he would rather not become menteri besar than sit at the same table with DAP.

The Johor BN chairman said the position reflected the state’s political landscape, which differed from the situation at the federal level, adding that BN had never governed Johor together with DAP.

Loke also said political leaders should remain patient in managing differences of opinion.

“This is our attitude, this is our spirit. As politicians, our level of patience must be high because it is patience that will bring us victory and success,” he said.

“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim waited patiently for more than 20 years before becoming Prime Minister.”

Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun announced yesterday that Johor will head to the polls on July 11, with nomination day set for June 27 and early voting on July 7.

JOHOR BAHRU, June 1 — Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) is prepared to face the upcoming state election following the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

In a joint statement, Johor PH said the coalition had expected that Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) would dissolve the assembly soon to pave way for an election.

“From the start, PH expected BN to dissolve the state assembly in the near future.

“In the spirit of democracy, PH will continue with existing preparations to face this election,” read the statement that was released tonight.

The statement was co-signed by Johor PH chairman and Johor Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) chief Aminolhuda Hassan; Johor PKR chief Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa; and Johor DAP chief Teo Nie Ching.

PH Johor also announced that it will hold discussions at the coalition’s Presidential Council level at the national level to plan its next steps.

“For us, there is no easy election. PH is prepared to make the best effort possible to win this state election,” read the statement.

In a related note, the coalition also criticised the June 22 special one-day state legislative assembly sitting, describing it as illogical.

The notice for the June 22 state legislative assembly sitting was widely expected to announce the dissolution of the Johor state assembly.

Earlier, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

This effectively paves the way for the state’s upcoming election.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — DAP is set to expand its footprint in the upcoming Johor state election, fielding candidates in 17 seats, an increase from the 14 it contested in the 2022 polls.

Party secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook confirmed the figure today, noting that the party’s strategy involves a three-pronged approach: defending its 10 incumbent seats, reclaiming the four it lost in the previous cycle, and venturing into three additional constituencies.

“I can safely say that DAP will be contesting 17 seats in the coming state election in Johor,” Loke was quoted as saying in a Free Malaysia Today report.

The expansion comes as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition successfully concluded its seat-sharing negotiations, shifting its focus toward election machinery and ground preparations.

While Loke noted that one final seat was subject to minor adjustments between PKR and Amanah, he expressed confidence that the arrangement would be fully settled within 48 hours.

In the 2022 state election, DAP emerged as the coalition’s strongest performer in Johor, successfully defending 10 seats.

However, it suffered narrow defeats in four traditional strongholds of Bekok, Yong Peng, Paloh, and Pekan Nanas, which were captured by MCA.

Currently, DAP holds the lion’s share of the opposition’s presence in the Johor state assembly, with coalition partners PKR and Amanah holding only one seat each.

The move to contest three new seats suggests a strategic attempt by PH to make inroads into areas previously considered Barisan Nasional (BN) or Perikatan Nasional (PN) territory.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Penang is unlikely to hold its state election simultaneously with the next general election as the gap between the two electoral cycles has become too wide, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

According to Harian Metro, Chow said the state still has about two-and-a-half years remaining in its current term, making it difficult and unfair to dissolve the state assembly prematurely simply to align the state polls with parliamentary elections.

“As an example, Penang still has about two and a half years left before the end of its term.

“It would not be fair to dissolve the state assembly early just to synchronise the state election with Parliament, especially when considering the mandate given by voters to the state government,” he told reporters after officiating the opening of the Sunway Medical Centre Orthopaedic Centre in Seberang Jaya.

He said the current election calendar had been disrupted by previous electoral cycles, making it increasingly challenging to coordinate state and federal polls.

Chow was responding to a question on whether Penang would consider holding its next state election together with the general election to reduce costs amid rising living expenses.

The DAP national vice-chairman said, however, that he would respect any decision by other states that chose to dissolve their legislative assemblies early in order to align with parliamentary elections.

“Whatever the case, we will wait for the party’s decision,” he said.

At the 15th General Election, Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu did not hold their state elections concurrently.

The six states subsequently held their elections on August 12, 2023, with the governments elected then having served less than three years so far.

In Penang, the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional alliance won 29 of the 40 state seats contested, while Perikatan Nasional secured 11 seats.

Separately, Chow said Penang would assist in the upcoming Johor state election if required, adding that party workers could be mobilised as is customary during election campaigns.

He said the party was also monitoring whether other states might call snap elections before deciding on any deployment of resources.

JOHOR BAHRU, June 2 — The Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) Convention, scheduled for June 14, may be brought forward, according to its secretary Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman.

He said the possibility arises from recent political developments in the state, particularly following the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

“We may change the date to an earlier one, before June 14,” he said briefly when contacted by Bernama.

Yesterday, Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly after obtaining the consent of Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail, paving the way for a state election.

Previously, Onn Hafiz, who is also Johor BN chairman, was reported as saying that the convention would serve as a key platform to strengthen the coalition’s resolve and unity, as well as fine-tune the machinery’s preparations for the state election.

BN will contest all 56 state seats in the 16th Johor state election. — Bernama

JOHOR BAHRU, June 2 — Official notification of the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (DUN) was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) today, confirmed Johor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

The notice was submitted to formally inform the EC of the dissolution of the Johor State Assembly, which received the consent of Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail on June 1.

The EC had previously announced that it would convene a special meeting to discuss key dates for the Johor state election as soon as it received official notification of the assembly’s dissolution from the Speaker.

The meeting is expected to determine important dates for the state election, including nomination day, the campaign period and polling day.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution of the state assembly yesterday after receiving the consent of the Johor Regent.

The state election must be held within 60 days from the effective date of the dissolution. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said PAS is targeting all 36 Kedah state seats in the next state election, while also seeking to capture the state’s only parliamentary constituency not currently under the party’s control.

According to Harian Metro, the Kedah menteri besar said PAS would attempt to wrest the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat from Pakatan Harahan (PH), which would give the party all 15 parliamentary seats in the state after winning 14 in GE15.

He added that PAS was also aiming to take the Kota Darul Aman, Bakar Arang and Sidam state seats, which are currently held by PH.

“PAS will lead a 36-0 victory. Anyone who wants to join PAS is welcome, anyone who wants to be friends is welcome, and anyone who wants to oppose us can wait.

“We will take the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat, making all 15 parliamentary seats ours, while increasing our DUN seats to 36. 

“We need to have that level of confidence so that our election machinery will share the same belief,” he told reporters after the launch of PAS Kedah’s election machinery at the Kedah PAS Complex in Kota Sarang Semut, Yan, last night.

Muhammad Sanusi said the target was not impossible, citing PAS’ performance in Terengganu, where the party won all 32 state seats in the 2023 state election.

He said he had similarly set a target of winning 33 state seats in Kedah ahead of the last state election, a prediction that materialised when the opposition secured only three seats.

“I once said we would win 33 seats, and we did. Now I say we can win all 36 seats, God willing. No one knows what the future holds,” he said.

The Kedah state assembly’s term expires in August 2028, following the state’s most recent election held in August 2023.

JOHOR BARU, June 1 — Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim today rejected claims she was defecting or had been “bought over”, saying her political decisions were made after consulting her closest supporters and stressing her focus was on solving problems rather than constant confrontation.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Marina invoked Sun Tzu’s Art of War to defend her non-confrontational style, arguing that “the best victory is one achieved without fighting”. 

She said politics should be measured by how many problems are resolved for constituents, not by how many disputes are waged. 

“Helping the people cannot wait for election season,” she wrote, describing her approach as “strategic diplomacy” rather than weakness.

Marina added that she believed in supporting government initiatives that benefit her constituency, while offering constructive criticism and solutions when weaknesses were identified. She said her priority was always the welfare of constituents, not political point-scoring.

The post followed controversy over a purported letter, dated May 30, where Marina rejected an offer to contest the Tiram seat and chair a government-linked company (GLC) if she lost.

In a Berita Harian report, Marina said she had shared “the letter” in a Johor DAP WhatsApp group. She did not verify if it was the same document now circulating on social media. 

“I don’t want to think about it now because it gives me a headache. What I want to do is rest so I can wake up tomorrow and continue helping the people,” she was quoted as saying.

The controversy erupted yesterday after Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching revealed details of discussions held with Marina as part of the party’s preparations for the upcoming Johor state election.

In a Facebook post, Teo, who is also Deputy Communications Minister, confirmed talks had taken place on moving Marina to another constituency as part of DAP’s strategy to expand beyond its traditional strongholds. 

“To assure her that the party would stand by her regardless of the Johor State Elections outcome, I also shared my intention to propose her as the Chairman of a statutory body, which I believe she can contribute constructively,” Teo wrote.

The admission sparked online debate, with social media users questioning whether appointments to statutory bodies or GLCs should form part of candidate negotiations.

Earlier, New Straits Times reported that Teo had yet to respond to queries on the proposal or the type of statutory body involved.

The issue gained traction after Teo expressed regret if the discussions had made Marina uncomfortable, fuelling speculation over Marina’s surprise announcement yesterday that she would retire from politics and not defend her Skudai seat in the coming election. 

BATU PAHAT, June 7 — A fire that destroyed about 80 per cent of MCA’s office in Yong Peng yesterday has disrupted the party’s preparations for the upcoming Johor state election, its Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said.

Ling said MCA is considering relocating its operations to a temporary premises after investigations by the Fire and Rescue Department are completed.

“This incident will affect MCA because the building has long served as the party’s operations centre. We may need to find a temporary location to continue our preparations for the state election,” he told Bernama today.

The Yong Peng assemblyman said the blaze destroyed the building’s public address system, newly installed air-conditioning units, furniture, as well as documents and equipment used for community programmes.

He said the loss was also deeply felt by the local Chinese community, many of whom regarded the 70-year-old building as a landmark and a hub for community activities.

“Everyone feels saddened by the loss of an iconic building in Yong Peng. I ask the public to remain patient.

“MCA will make plans moving forward to ensure it continues serving as a centre for community and family activities in the area,” he said.

According to Ling, the building, measuring about 100 feet long, 70 feet wide and 20 feet high, had hosted a wide range of activities, including meetings, dance classes, exercise sessions, lion dance training and karaoke programmes held four times a week.

“Although the fire mainly spread through the upper section of the building, the entire interior is no longer usable, and all activities have been temporarily suspended,” he said.

The Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call on the incident at 8.28pm yesterday.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control and fully extinguished it by 9.56pm. — Bernama

KOTA TINGGI, June 2 — Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties should consider fielding young and new faces as candidates in the upcoming Johor state election, particularly in constituencies with a high percentage of young voters, Umno Information Chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said.

The move would not only have a positive impact on BN but would also create opportunities for a new generation of leaders to emerge as the party’s future leadership through the state legislative assembly, she added.

“We have to accept the reality that many young people are now voters. Even in my constituency, about 40 per cent of the electorate are young voters. My hope is that this will be given emphasis,” she told a press conference after launching the Madani Adopted Village Programme in Kampung Tanjung Serindit here today.

She pointed out that the final decision on candidate selection rests entirely with the state BN leadership and political bureau.

At the same time, Azalina, who is also Pengerang MP, expressed hope that the two incumbent state assemblymen under her parliamentary constituency — Aznan Tamin (Tanjung Surat) and Fauziah Misri (Penawar) — would be retained as candidates for this election, and that the election would proceed in the spirit of democracy, free from violence or any untoward incidents.

On the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly, Azalina said the state government under Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had the right to dissolve the assembly with the consent of the Johor Palace.

According to her, the decision was made following continued positive support from the people of Johor for the state government’s leadership under BN.

“Perhaps with what has happened, such as the Umno 80th Anniversary Celebration at Istana Besar Johor and Johor Darul Ta’zim’s 12th Super League title victory, 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 said.

Yesterday, Onn Hafiz announced the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly with effect from June 1 after receiving the consent of Johor Regent, Tunku Mahkota Ismail. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — PKR’s candidate for the Bukit Batu state seat, Arthur Chiong Sen Sern, has apologised to the Johor government after making an incorrect claim during his announcement as the coalition’s candidate last night.

Chiong, who is also the incumbent Bukit Batu assemblyman, said he was withdrawing remarks made during the launch of the Bukit Batu election machinery.

“After conducting further checks, I found that the statement that ‘there has been no allocation from the state government for this year’ was inaccurate.

“As such, I humbly apologise to all parties for the confusion caused by the statement. I am also withdrawing the remark and acknowledge that the mistake was unintentional,” he said in a statement today.

Chiong said he regretted the incident and appreciated the feedback he had received from various parties regarding the matter.

“I would like to correct the mistake and withdraw the following statement that I made during the Bukit Batu election machinery launch programme concerning the issue of state government allocations for this year,” he said.

Yesterday, Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced Chiong as the coalition’s candidate to defend the Bukit Batu seat in the upcoming Johor state election.

Johor voters will head to the polls on July 11. Nomination is set for June 27, while early voting will take place on July 7.

PUTRAJAYA, June 5 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is ready for the Negeri Sembilan state election and remains open to continuing its cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to retain the unity government in the state, its chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

However, Ahmad Zahid said it was still too early to hold formal discussions on any electoral cooperation between the two coalitions.

“We are prepared for the Negeri Sembilan state election and, of course, remain very open to continuing the unity government in the state,” he told reporters after visiting the exhibition site for National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Day 2026 at Dataran Putrajaya here today.

The deputy prime minister’s remarks came a day after Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun announced the dissolution of the 36-seat State Legislative Assembly to pave the way for the 16th state election.

In the 2023 state election, PH and BN formed the Negeri Sembilan government after securing a combined 31 of the 36 seats contested.

PH won 17 seats, followed by BN with 14, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) secured five seats.

Negeri Sembilan became the second state to dissolve its legislative assembly for a fresh election after Johor, which dissolved its State Legislative Assembly on Monday. — Bernama