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.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Amanah secretary-general Muhammad Faiz Fadzil has reportedly said Pakatan Harapan (PH) is not planning any post-election cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) after the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls.

According to Utusan Malaysia, Faiz said PH’s current priority was to strengthen its own position ahead of any political developments after the elections.

“So far, there are no plans for cooperation with BN after the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections,” he was quoted as saying.

Faiz, who is also the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia chairman, was reportedly speaking to reporters after a Madani engagement programme with fishermen from the northern Perak zone in Sungai Betul Bawah, Tanjung Piandang, yesterday.

He said Amanah was confident it would be allocated seats it could win once negotiations within PH were finalised.

He added that seat talks among PH component parties were almost complete and had proceeded smoothly, with an announcement to be made by the coalition leadership soon.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Sensational pop singer Datuk Aishah was one of Malaysia’s ultimate ‘IT girls’ of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

She first found global fame as the frontwoman of Kiwi synth-pop outfit The Fan Club (marketed locally as Aishah and The Fan Club), famously breaking into the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the first and only Malaysian to win a New Zealand Music Award. 

Upon returning home, she instantly dominated the local music landscape. Anchored by her evergreen solo masterpiece Janji Manismu, this era cemented her legendary status and brought a succession of major industry accolades.

Following a celebrated 20-year musical career that included a decade-long lawsuit, Aishah pivoted to politics in 2012. 

She initially joined PAS — even contesting a parliamentary seat in the general election — before later moving to the progressive splinter party, Amanah, under the Pakatan Harapan banner.

She eventually exited politics after an eight-year stint, returning full-time to entertainment where she won Astro’s Gegar Vaganza in 2017 and was conferred a Datukship in 2022.

Now in her golden years, the 61-year-old is busy preparing for what could be her final major solo concert, Aishah: 40 Chapters of Love, Live in Concert, set to take place at Mega Star Arena this July 4.

Aishah and The Fan Club days 

“I think it was a bit of a novelty back then, to see a Malaysian with a bunch of New Zealanders at that time... When I think back about it, that must’ve been pretty radical,” Aishah told Malay Mail.

Before cementing their legacy, the four-piece funk-pop outfit — consisting of Malcolm Smith, Glenn Peters, Dave Larsen, and future Malaysian Idol judge Paul Moss — went by the borderline red-flagged moniker of Soul on Ice.

Aishah, who was pursuing Political Science and Early Childhood Education at the University of Auckland, caught their attention after placing third in New Zealand’s 1986 Telequest talent competition.

Following her win, she was courted by both Soul on Ice and Peking Man, a major local act seeking to find a replacement for their vocalist Margaret Urlich. 

Aishah ultimately chose the former to forge her own identity. 

“Peking Man already had like three or four number one hits.

“I felt that if I went with them, I would constantly be compared to Margaret Urlich,” she explained.

Renamed Aishah and The Fan Club, the band signed with CBS New Zealand (now Sony Music), dropping two full-length studio albums: Sensation (1988) and Respect the Beat (1989). 

They enjoyed a string of hits like Sensation and Paradise, eventually winning Artist of the Year at the 1991 New Zealand Music Awards.

The band even breached the global stage when a Mark S. Berry remix of Don’t Let Me Fall Alone charted on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. 

Yet, navigating international stardom in a pre-internet era proved unsustainable, prompting CBS New Zealand to pull funding.

“In hindsight, some were saying that we should have just been sent there (to the US) to work the promotions.

“We had another single that we think would have done really well in the American market called Never Gave Up On You, but since we were on the other side of the world, without the technology that we have now, we’ve lost the momentum unfortunately,” Aishah said. 

Homecoming and going solo 

Following the big win at the New Zealand Music Awards, Aishah was offered a solo role by CBS back home — where the initial idea was that she would go solo while waiting for the green light on The Fan Club’s third album — which unfortunately never came, and the group later disbanded in 1993.  

It was around this same time that she recorded and released her iconic Janji Manismu single which won her numerous awards and accolades locally when it came out in 1990. 

This includes winning the Song of the Year at the fifth edition of Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) as well as the best vocal category. Janji Manismu also saw Aishah sweeping the Most Popular Female Singer and Most Popular Artist categories at the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH) that same year. 

Despite her success, Aishah admitted that in her early days, there were those who were sceptical of her talent with some questioning her fluency in Bahasa Malaysia due to her time abroad and some even belittling her role in The Fan Club, claiming that she was just riding on the band’s fame. 

“I was pretty offended when they say that I was riding on the band’s popularity, sometimes people can be so mean. 

“If I’m that disposable, the band could’ve easily found someone else to replace me but the fact that they didn’t really does say something. 

“I mean, give me some credit at least,” she said.

As for those questioning her fluency in her own mother-tongue — Aishah shut down the critics following her exceptional performance of Bahtera Merdeka during a live session on RTM’s Hiburan Minggu Ini in 1991 where she was also joined on stage by the late legendary composer and musician Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan. 

Between 1990 and 1995, Aishah released five studio albums under CBS (which later changed to Sony Music Malaysia), with her first three albums (Aishah, Aishah II, and Aishah III – Asia... Sedunia) achieving multi-platinum status, each selling over 100,000 units in Malaysia.

She also managed to complete her Master’s Degree in Political Science and her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education during that time. 

Looking back, Aishah admitted that there were several unanswered questions and “what-ifs” lingering at the back of her mind, such as why she didn’t continue putting out English solo songs after her return. 

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself as to why nobody offered me to do solo English songs. 

“You would think that would be the most natural step right? Especially when you started with English songs. 

“But for some reason when I started singing in BM, almost everybody forgot that I used to sing in English,” she said. 

She also pointed out that she sometimes wondered what would have happened if Aishah and The Fan Club had switched labels after their final album. 

It is also worth noting that Aishah actually made a temporary move from Sony Music MY to EMI Malaysia between 1996 and 2000 where she signed a contract with the label for the production of three studio albums. 

However, the label prematurely terminated the deal in June 1999 before producing the third record.

In response to the contract termination and unpaid royalties, Aishah officially filed a RM406,000 breach-of-contract lawsuit against EMI. To complicate matters further, EMI went ahead and commercially released her festive album, Pulanglah Perantau, in early 2000.

After a gruelling ten-year battle that also impacted her music career, the High Court finally ruled in Aishah’s favour. The judge completely dismissed EMI’s countersuit and ordered the label to pay her general damages and full legal costs in November 2009.

Getting political

Following the filing of her lawsuit against EMI, Aishah went back to Sony Music Malaysia and produced two more albums, tallying a total of 10 albums throughout her solo career which culminated in her 2010 Islamic spiritual album Anak before her eventual move into politics. 

She started her political career with the Islamist party PAS which was under the leadership of the late ‘Tok Guru’ Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. She was also among the wave of local artists who decided to join PAS at the time, a movement known as the ‘gelombang penghijrahan artis’ (wave of artists migration). 

Aishah delivering a speech at Pakatan Harapan’s convention in Shah Alam in 2018. — Picture by Zuraneeza Zulkifli

Among other celebrities who were part of this wave were Gerak Khas actress Abby Abadi as well as the late prominent lyricist, actor and comedian Bob Lokman. 

“At the time, there were issues that I had seen myself, it was within my own circle. 

“I’ve seen corruption and of course I couldn’t just keep quiet about it. 

“So, that’s how I started,” she said. 

Fast-tracked by her celebrity status, Aishah quickly transitioned from a regular member to an executive committee member of the PAS women’s wing before she was eventually entrusted with the ‘watikah’ to run for the parliamentary seat of her hometown Jempol in Negeri Sembilan in the 13th General Election (GE13) in 2013. 

She ran against Barisan National heavyweight Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, who at the time, had served as the Negeri Sembilan’s menteri besar for over 20 years. 

Despite reports indicating that Aishah had a fairly visible campaign, she lost the parliamentary seat to Isa who won it with 31,124 votes, giving him a majority of 8,629 votes whereas Aishah managed to garner 22,495 votes.

“I realise that when I lost the GE13, I was like the happiest loser because I can go back to my life. 

“I felt tortured because I was away from my children and at that time, all my schedule was done for me, there was no life and you didn’t get much say on it. 

“So, when I lost, I was like yes, let’s go home to the kids,” she said. 

Following her GE13 loss, Aishah remained with PAS for two more years before shifting to Amanah in 2015. 

This move came amid an ideological schism within PAS, which grew increasingly conservative after the passing of their spiritual leader Nik Aziz. 

Mirroring her entry during the celebrity “migration”, her exit aligned with a second wave of departures — the historic G18 mass exodus — where prominent progressives and technocrats like Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Khalid Samad, and Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad left PAS to establish the Amanah.

Away from politics and back to entertainment 

By 2017, Aishah had gradually returned to entertainment by entering and winning the grand prize at Astro’s singing competition Gegar Vaganza.

She officially exited politics in July 2018 after helping Amanah with their campaign during the 14th General Election that year. 

Despite the ups and downs she faced in the political arena, Aishah said that politics taught her a lot about herself and how she reconnected with her true calling as an artist. 

“It was not a bad experience at all. It was good because it taught me who I am and what I like and what I don’t like. 

“I still love to help people but I want to do it my own way through my talents. 

“I’m also giving way to those who could really do the job, let them continue the fight,” she said. 

Datuk Aishah posing for a portrait ahead of her upcoming July 4 solo concert. — Picture by Sayuti Zainuddin

Following her return to entertainment, Aishah not only participated in a couple of singing competitions but also held her own solo concert with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2022. 

She was also conferred a Datukship by the ruler of her home state, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir in that same year. 

She even released a new single titled Taman Keabadian last year and she will also be holding another solo concert, which might be her last, this July 4. 

Tickets for her upcoming concert coined as Aishah: 40 Chapters of Love, Live in Concert are still available via www.ticket2u.com.my, which are priced between RM288 and RM788. 

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.

GEORGE TOWN, June 15 — Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) hopes to field more women candidates in the next state election, although identifying a sufficient number of suitable and willing candidates remains a challenge, said its chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

He said Penang PH remained committed to the target of achieving at least 30 per cent women’s participation in politics and decision-making, but continued to face difficulties finding enough suitable women willing to contest.

“That is certainly our aspiration. In every election, we will field women candidates, but the actual number will depend on whether there are enough suitable and willing candidates.

“While we aspire to have more women candidates, there must first be enough candidates for us to choose from. That is an issue we need to address,” he told reporters after officiating the World Women Economic and Business Summit 2026 here today.

Chow, who is also Penang Chief Minister, said that despite women making significant progress in sectors such as education, business, engineering and public service, their participation in politics continued to face distinct challenges.

Penang PH, he said, had been proactive in supporting the 30 per cent target, but relatively few women were willing to step forward during the candidate selection process due to the pressures and challenges associated with political participation.

Earlier in his officiating speech, Chow said Malaysia’s target of 30 per cent women’s representation in politics, introduced in 2009, had yet to be achieved, with women currently accounting for only 13.5 per cent of Members of Parliament and 12 per cent of state assemblypersons nationwide.

He said the gap called for renewed commitment and concrete action, adding that political parties should consider institutionalising the 30 per cent target in their candidate selection processes.

Chow said political parties should also ensure equal representation of women on decision-making committees and strengthen access to resources and mentoring for emerging women leaders. — 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.

IPOH, June 13 — Buildings constructed without planning permission are illegal and will not be allowed access to water or electricity supplies, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said.

He said the policy was intended to prevent the emergence of illegal settlements, including those linked to foreign communities such as the Rohingya.

“The issue of Rohingya refugees falls under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department, which conducts regular inspections and enforcement operations.

“However, the government’s policy is clear. Anyone entering the country, whether on humanitarian grounds or as a refugee, must obtain government approval,” he told reporters after visiting an unclaimed money mobile counter here today.

Nga was commenting on reports of an unauthorised four-storey building constructed by the Rohingya community in a remote area of Sungai Tekali, Hulu Langat, Selangor.

Meanwhile, he said the government had revoked 26,108 business licences operated by foreign nationals through 4,000 enforcement operations carried out nationwide as of May this year.

“Foreign nationals are not allowed to run businesses or hold business licences. They may work as employees, but they cannot own businesses,” he said.

Nga added that local authorities nationwide had been directed to step up enforcement efforts, while urging the public to report the presence of illegal immigrants or any suspicious activities to the authorities.

On the unclaimed money campaign, he said RM13 billion is currently available for claim and encouraged the public to check their status.

“The process is simple. Citizens only need to bring their identity card and a bank statement,” he said.

Nga said the initiative is in line with Section 13(1) of the Unclaimed Moneys Act 1965, under which funds left untouched for more than seven years are transferred to the Unclaimed Moneys Account managed by the Accountant General’s Department.

“The money belongs to the rightful owners, but many are unaware that they have unclaimed funds,” he added.

“Starting this week, we will launch the campaign beginning in the Kepayang state constituency, with Pakatan Harapan elected representatives visiting constituencies across Perak to assist the public in reclaiming their money,” he said. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek has reportedly said that PAS could win federal power “by default” in the next general election if Chinese voters avoid the polls or intentionally cast spoilt votes.

According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Chua said the possibility was already being “debated quietly” among Chinese voters, with some Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders believing that PAS could form the federal government if voters do not back the coalition.

“You know, Chinese are disillusioned with PH (and) DAP, although they will still continue to (vote) for DAP by default,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

Chua reportedly said PAS would find it hard to gain ground in Sabah and Sarawak, which together have 56 parliamentary seats, while DAP is still expected to hold an advantage in 32 Chinese-majority seats.

He said this would realistically leave PAS competing over 134 seats in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, requiring an 84 per cent success rate to reach the 113 seats needed to form the federal government on its own.

“To me, unlikely — provided the Chinese come out to vote,” he reportedly told FMT.

He reportedly also said Perikatan Nasional’s attempt to present Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as a leader with wider national appeal had yet to prove itself with non-Muslim voters.

“Dr Sam is an unknown factor,” Chua was quoted as saying, referring to Ahmad Samsuri.

Chua reportedly said fresh discussions on Malay-based party alliances ahead of the Johor polls made Chinese voter turnout more crucial, as weaker Chinese turnout in close contests could improve PAS’s chances even without widespread national support.

JOHOR BAHRU, June 1 — Johor DAP has clarified that the party had offered to appoint incumbent Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim to helm a statutory body and not a government-linked company (GLC) as seen in a letter that went viral.

Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said there is a difference in a statutory body and a GLC.

He said Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching had stated that she offered Marina to lead a statutory body and not a GLC.

“Statutory bodies are established by an Act of Parliament or state enactment to fulfill specific public policy or socio-economic objectives, while a GLC is incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 and the government acts as a majority shareholder.

“In this recent issue, Teo had offered Marina to helm a statutory body that is related to social welfare work.

“This is actually a good fit for Marina who has been passionate and known for her welfare activism over the years.,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail today.

The DAP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) member was responding to criticism that the party is allegedly using positions in GLCs as political tools.

Sheikh Umar said the unnamed statutory body was a right fit for Marina based on her work in welfare activism.

“In fact, the party’s leadership felt Marina would be able to perform well and assist in shaping policy by being appointed to the statutory body.

“The proposed appointment by DAP is not a form of reward that is used to lure or motivate someone to perform a task,” he said, adding that it is normal for DAP to initiate moves that are strategic for the party’s long term.

Meanwhile, Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Aminolhuda Hassan said that such appointments, especially to statutory bodies, was a normal practice for any political parties that are part of the government.

The Johor Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) chief also clarified that for such appointments only eligible and hardworking party members who have promise will be considered.

“Generally, the person being considered will normally be a subject matter expert or have a good knowledge of the field that the statutory body is established under,” he said, adding that statutory bodies, unlike a GLC, are under the purview of the government and not a corporate company.

TOKYO, June 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reaffirmed the Unity Government’s commitment to its coalition partners, saying it would not take any action that could be perceived as a betrayal of the existing political consensus.

Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said the government remained stable, with all parties continuing to respect the understanding reached to ensure the country’s political stability.

“So far, I have not heard any such views. In fact, members of the Cabinet and the leadership represented in it have consistently maintained that the Unity Government at the national level must remain strong,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

The Unity Government, formed after the 15th general election in 2022, comprises PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and several other parties.

Anwar, who is also PKR president, was commenting on claims that several former Bersatu state assemblymen could join PKR following recent developments in the political relationship between Bersatu and PAS.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang on Monday announced that the party had formally decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu after taking into account reports, studies and current assessments of the relationship between the two parties.

Anwar stressed that the coalition’s political approach remained rooted in consultation, discussion and cooperation, rather than abruptly severing ties.

“In politics, this business of divorcing, pronouncing ‘talak’ and remarrying is not our way. We negotiate properly, discuss matters properly and cooperate properly. For now, the Unity Government remains intact, although there are some differences of opinion at the state level,” he said.

He said decisions made at the state level were the responsibility of the respective leadership and those involved should be accountable for them.

The prime minister said the government’s main focus remained on implementing the national development agenda, including fulfilling international commitments and strengthening economic cooperation.

Anwar is scheduled to attend the Asean-Russia meeting in Kazan next week before travelling to Turkmenistan to explore cooperation opportunities in the energy sector, particularly in relation to gas resources. — Bernama

PUTRAJAYA, June 5 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today dismissed suggestions of reviving Muafakat Nasional (MN) 2.0, saying there have been no discussions on the matter between Umno and PAS.

“There have been no discussions on that,” he told reporters after visiting the exhibition site for National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Day 2026 at Dataran Putrajaya here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) priority remains ensuring political stability through the unity government formed with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and parties from Sabah and Sarawak.

“The most important thing is to ensure that the current government remains intact until the end of the 15th Parliament’s term,” he said.

Yesterday, PAS Youth proposed that Umno revive political cooperation through Muafakat Nasional ahead of the upcoming Johor state election.

On a separate matter, Ahmad Zahid said a political meeting involving Umno and PAS leaders held last night did not involve the presidents of either party and was focused on political collaboration and national issues.

He said politics is dynamic and BN remains open to political discussions and deliberations on national matters in the interest of preserving the country’s stability. — Bernama

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.