HOW TO BEAT KIT SIANG? Ghani will leverage his four terms as Johor MB

DATUK Abdul Ghani Othman is an unassuming man who prefers to carry out his job as the Johor Menteri Besar without much fanfare.

But the spotlight will now be on the 66-year-old Ghani, who was named yesterday as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Johor parliamentary seat of Gelang Patah, setting the stage for a showdown with the 72-year-old DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.

The battle of Gelang Patah will not just be about the political survival of the two contenders.

For Johor-born Lim, it could be his political burial ground if he loses. Likewise, it would be an untimely end to Ghani's remarkable political career.

More importantly, it is about defending the bastion of Umno from the onslaught of the Pakatan Rakyat and keeping Johor's almost 100 per cent clean record as BN's fortress.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is banking on the Chinese majority in Gelang Patah to make further inroads in its last frontier of Johor. But Ghani will leverage his four terms as menteri besar to roll back the opposition tide.

For the record, Chinese voters account for 52 per cent in Gelang Patah, while Malays and Indians comprise 34 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

The idea of Ghani taking on Lim probably came from Ghani himself. He spoke to close circles about his intention after one news portal speculated on Lim's move.

That was about one month ago. Of course, some Johor Umno leaders shot down the idea, saying that would look odd -- an Umno candidate standing in a Chinese-majority seat.

In the end, they dropped the opposition to the plan, saying that Ghani has a fighting chance to defend the BN seat.

Analysts observed that Ghani is an Umno leader who is Chinese-friendly.

He has brought in a lot of investments in Johor in general and Iskandar in particular since he became the MB in 1995. Many Chinese businesses have benefited from the Iskandar economic boom.

A friend of mine recalled an incident two years ago when Ghani bumped into Lim and the DAP MP for Batu Gajah then having a banana leaf lunch in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya.

They greeted and shook each other's hands before Lim left after settling Ghani's bill. There was a mutual respect between the two.

Ghani is also not known to be someone who maintains an extravagant lifestyle. There were no lavish weddings in five-star hotels when his son or daughter got married.

Ghani is close to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). He attends their functions, looks into their needs and even attends private functions such as the wedding of a NGO chairman's child. To him, they are a partner in the social, cultural and sports development in the state.

After 18 years, Ghani has done relatively well in governing Johor. Despite being a BN fortress, it is not an easy task running the state, especially in meeting the varied expectations of Umno and BN leaders, dealing with the palace and handling the then thorny issues with neighbouring Singapore.

Ghani is generally well liked, with no scandals and has a stable family life. His successor will inherit a state that is in good shape, economically and financially. This will be the legacy of the mild-mannered and true Johor warrior.

- New Straits Times