After nights of violence across Belfast this week, politicians continue to call for calm, but what else can be done to stop the violence spreading? Plus, Jessica Elgot has been to Makerfield and spoken to undecided voters on the doorstep
The full list of candidates for the Makerfield byelection:
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© Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
© Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
© Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was receptive to the idea of holding the next general election simultaneously with polls in the four Perikatan Nasional-led states, arguing that the move would cut costs and reduce duplication of work.
New Straits Times reported the PAS election director as saying he had raised the matter with Anwar, expressing hope that Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis would go to the polls alongside the 16th general election (GE16).
“My hope is for the state elections in the four states and the parliamentary election to be held together. We will not have to repeat the work, which would consume time if done separately. Holding them concurrently will save costs and ease the work of the Election Commission,” he told reporters after launching Kedah PAS’ election machinery in Kota Sarang Semut, Yan, last night.
“I have spoken with the prime minister about holding simultaneous elections, and he agreed.
“When I asked about the election date, he said it could be discussed.”
Sanusi said concurrent elections would also allow political parties to streamline the deployment of their machinery and resources.
Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu did not dissolve their state assemblies during the 15th general election (GE15) in 2022, opting instead to hold separate state polls in August 2023. Perlis, then under Barisan Nasional, dissolved its state assembly to allow its election to be held concurrently with the federal polls.
Commenting on the possibility of PAS entering a new political alignment ahead of GE16, Sanusi said political parties must continue adapting to remain relevant in an evolving landscape.
“All parties must move based on current needs and demands to match changing mindsets. A party must keep moving and cannot remain static, or it will be left behind and become a Stone Age party,” he said.
“PAS must also move forward as long as our principles remain unchanged and our struggle stays the same. But strategies must be in place to win over voters, and every party will seize the same opportunities.”
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — A special meeting to discuss matters related to the 16th Johor state election will be held on June 12, according to the Election Commission (EC).
EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said the commission had received notification from Johor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi regarding the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly on June 2, as provided under Clause 23(2), Part Two of the Johor Constitution 1895.
“Under Clause 23(4), Part Two of the Johor Constitution 1895, a state election must be held within 60 days from the date of the dissolution of the State Assembly.
“The special meeting, to be chaired by EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, will discuss key dates for the 16th Johor state election, including the issuance of the election writ, nomination day, polling day, the electoral roll to be used, and other preparations for the conduct of the election,” he said in a statement today.
He added that a press conference would be held immediately after the special meeting.
The Johor State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on Monday after receiving the consent of Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail.
In a separate statement, Khairul Shahril said applications for domestic and overseas postal voting for the 16th Johor state election have opened online today via the MySPR portal at https://myspr.spr.gov.my
The facility is available to all postal voting categories: Category 1A (police officers, military personnel, election workers, EC members and officers, and media personnel), Category 1B (Malaysian citizens residing overseas), and Category 1C (agencies and organisations).
“All postal vote applications must be submitted online. Eligible voters who wish to vote by post must register for, or already have, a MySPR account before applying,” he said.
He added that the closing date for postal vote applications for all categories would be announced later.
For enquiries or further information, the public may contact the EC at 03-8892 7080 or email upup@spr.gov.my — 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 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 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.
JOHOR BAHRU, June 2 — Johor Perikatan Nasional (PN) has almost completed its seat allocation for the upcoming Johor state election, with about 80 per cent finalised.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Sahruddin Jamal said discussions on the remaining 20 per cent involve seats for the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) as well as proposed electoral pacts with other parties, including Muda and Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR).
“Seat allocation is still being finalised, but about 80 per cent has been completed. As announced yesterday, PN will contest all 56 state seats,” he told Bernama when contacted on the coalition’s preparations following the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly.
Sahruddin said PN had also mobilised the election machinery of its four component parties - Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan and MIPP, in preparation for the polls.
Yesterday, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly after receiving the consent of the Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail, paving the way for a state election soon.
Meanwhile, Muda said it would defend the Puteri Wangsa seat and field more young candidates in the coming election. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Muda will defend the Puteri Wangsa state seat held by its president, Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, in the upcoming Johor state election.
In a statement today, the party said its victory in Puteri Wangsa previously showed that voters in Johor were open to a new style of politics based on integrity, courage and a strong commitment to public service.
Muda said it would also be fielding more young candidates whom it described as capable, credible and experienced in community work, as part of its effort to offer voters a wider choice.
The party added that it would announce its full slate of candidates and policy agenda in the coming weeks, aimed at ensuring Johor voters’ voices continue to be represented.
Muda said it believes more young people should be given the opportunity to take on leadership roles and participate directly in decision-making at the state level.
It added that Johor is a dynamic state with significant potential, but said current challenges require more than traditional politics or familiar faces.
The party said the state needed leaders who understand the aspirations of a new generation, are willing to push for reform, and are prepared to defend the interests of the people.
Muda added that the 16th Johor state election is not merely about politics or power, but about the future direction of the state and the next generation.
It said the election would be an important moment for voters to assess the performance of the current administration, demand accountability, and decide Johor’s direction for the next five years.
The Johor state assembly was dissolved yesterday, paving the way for the state election.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution after receiving consent from the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail.
Puteri Wangsa is currently the only seat held by Muda following its cooperation with Pakatan Harapan in the previous state election.
The party also contested in five other seats — Tenang, Bukit Kepong, Parit Raja, Machap and Bukit Permai — but did not win any of them.
JOHOR BAHRU, June 10 — Johor PAS will contest the upcoming state election under an electoral pact with an alliance of Malay-Muslim political parties, after recently ending its political cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Johor PAS Commissioner Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed said the pact was aimed at maximising the parties’ combined strengths.
He said the parties, which share similar political goals, are Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Berjasa Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman).
“This is a temporary political alliance as an official coalition would take up time and will not be registered in time for the Johor polls.
“Under this electoral pact, it is agreed that PAS and the other participating parties will use our respective logos to contest,” he told reporters after chairing a state-level meeting at the Johor PAS office in Bandar Baru Uda here last night.
Mahfodz said discussions on seat distribution for the Johor polls were still ongoing and are expected to be finalised by the party’s central leadership on June 12.
He said prominent PAS central committee member and strategist Tan Sri Annuar Musa has been appointed as the party’s Johor election director.
“Johor PAS has also not decided on the number of seats to contest for the upcoming Johor election. We need to decide on our new objectives after severing ties with Bersatu late Monday,” said the PAS Syura Council member.
Mahfodz explained that PAS initially had 15 seats under a previous arrangement with Bersatu for the upcoming Johor election.
“This figure is the same that PAS had in the previous Johor state election,” he said, adding that PAS will need to renegotiate the number of seats after severing its ties with Bersatu.
Mahfodz, who is also the Johor Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman, said there is a likelihood that PAS would clash with Bersatu in the upcoming state polls.
He said it is inevitable that PAS would compete with Bersatu in certain seats.
On PAS having a strategic tie-up with Barisan Nasional (BN), Mahfodz said party leaders at the state level have reached out to explore possible cooperation.
“Johor PAS has held informal discussions with the state BN, but there is no firm agreement yet,” he said.
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