Pakatan can only dream about Johor, says Ghani Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can only dream of capturing Umno stronghold Johor in the general election, Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman has said amid rising confidence from the opposition that it can make a dent in the Barisan Nasional bastion. 

Sinar Harian Online reported Abdul Ghani as saying yesterday that voter support, especially among the youth, for Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Umno birthplace remained strong and has never faltered.

“Like the past 50 years, the youth of Johor still support BN. In fact, their support has increased lately,” Abdul Ghani (picture)was quoted as saying in Muar yesterday.

“That’s why we will remain a fort for the party. The opposition’s confidence is actually based on other people supporting their parties,” he added.

Abdul Ghani called on young people to uphold Johor as a BN bastion in the 13th general election that must be called by April.

“We want to return the record of Johor winning 100 per cent in all 56 state seats and 26 parliamentary seats that are being contested. With the support of the youth, we are confident that we can achieve this objective in the general election this time,” he said.

Despite sweeping Penang, Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan in Election 2008, the loose coalition of PAS, PKR and the DAP won just one federal and six state seats out of 26 and 56 seats respectively in Johor.

Johor PR leaders admitted last November that they were facing difficulties in securing the Malay vote.

The Malays make up close to 60 per cent of the three million-strong population of Johor, which is also home to a staggering 74 Felda settlements spread out across 21 state constituencies.

The Felda Malay vote is often played by BN as its trump card during electoral battles, and has also been credited as one of the key reasons behind the ruling pact’s survival in the 2008 political tsunami, particularly in Johor.

But Johor PR leaders believe a slight 35 per cent vote swing among Johor’s Malay electorate should suffice to topple BN in Johor in the next polls, provided PR goes all out in ensuring that Johor’s non-Malays go anti-BN.

PAS Youth chief Shuhaizan Kaiat has said that with an estimated 70 per cent support from the state’s Chinese community, who make up over 35 per cent of Johor’s population, PR could well capture the state in Election 2013.