The involvement of the Johor Menteri Besar and two former MBs in the Barisan Nasional machinery is believed to greatly influence the victory of Pakatan Harapan candidates in the upcoming by-elections for the Pulai parliamentary constituency and the Simpang Jeram state seat.
Despite a small faction of grassroots within the Barisan Nasional expressing disheartenment over the selection of Pakatan candidates for both seats, the strong charisma of Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad as leaders in the state is seen as capable of addressing this concern.
Such a move is crucial in curtailing the rise of support for Perikatan Nasional in the state and maintaining Johor as a stronghold for Barisan.
Currently, Perikatan only holds one state seat in Johor, which is the Maharani constituency.
According to Associate Professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi from the Universiti Malaya Academy of Malay Studies, Johor Barisan chairman Mohamed Khaled and Onn Hafiz possess unique leadership strengths that make them a formidable force.
He added that the compelling aura around Hasni, who successfully led the Barisan machinery to secure a more than two-thirds majority in the Johor state election last March, also adds to their strength.
“Their combined strength can counter PAS’ attacks or influence. They can serve as a bulwark to voters from being swayed by PAS,” he said.
The research fellow at UM’s Centre for Democracy and Elections further highlighted that although Perikatan has Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, a former MB, on their side, he does not seem to have significant influence over voters, especially after being replaced by Hasni less than a year after his appointment.
Dr Sahruddin, who is a doctor, gained prominence through his position as the state Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman during the Sungai Kim Kim pollution incident in Pasir Gudang, which led to his appointment as MB for 10 months.
Political analyst and writer Dr G Manimaran stated that Perikatan has been laying the groundwork to establish a presence in Johor since the state election last year, particularly targeting young voters.
However, in facing the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections, the leadership of Onn Hafiz, Hasni, and Mohamed Khaled is expected to bring advantages to the unity government, preventing Perikatan from gaining a foothold in Johor during these by-elections,” he said.
He added that these three leaders could influence voters to lend their support to the alliance and defend the seats left vacant by the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who passed away on July 23.
Fellow analyst Dr Che Hamdan Che Mohd Razali mentioned that the Pakatan-Barisan alliance may have an advantage with these three prominent figures, but their cooperation and agreement are essential in mobilizing their respective machinery to secure victories for Suhaizan Kaiat in Pulai and Nazri Abdul Rahman in Simpang Jeram.
“All these leaders have their strengths. It’s how each of them plays their role in rallying their machinery and wooing voters. They (PH and BN) must set aside their egos and forget past experiences when they were on different sides,” he said.
Johor State Legislative Assembly former speaker Suhaizan Kaiat will compete against Pulai Bersatu division deputy chief Zulkifli Jaafar and an independent candidate, Kuala Lumpur Consumer Safety Association president Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi in the Pulai by-election.
In the Simpang Jeram by-election, Pakatan will field Bakri Amanah division deputy chief Nazri Abdul Rahman, who will be challenged by Perikatan’s Dr. Mohd Mazri Yahya, a vascular consultant and endovascular surgeon, as well as independent candidate businessman S. Jeganathan.
The Election Commission has set the by-elections for both seats on September 9, with early voting on September 9 as well.
According to the Election Commission data as of July 23, Pulai has a total of 166,653 voters, while Simpang Jeram has 40,379 voters. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
