Wawasan Negara, Gerakan to sit out Johor polls

 

Parti Wawasan Negara has announced it will not contest the Johor state election on July 11 and will instead focus on the Negeri Sembilan polls.

In a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, party president Hamzah Zainudin stated that Wawasan Negara’s priority is to act as a unifying bridge within Perikatan Nasional.

"Johor is the first arena following the Sabah state election, so as the new president, I want to observe so that we can take the best possible course of action. Therefore, we have decided not to participate in the Johor state election," he said.

Hamzah added that the decision followed careful deliberation and stressed that the party still backs qualified candidates.

"Not participating does not mean we don’t support any candidates. We support the lineup of candidates who are qualified to manage the state of Johor in the future," he said.

In a separate move, Johor Gerakan also announced that it would skip the state polls.

State chairperson Teo Kok Chee said the decision was unanimously reached during a joint meeting today between Johor Gerakan’s state liaison committee, women’s wing, and youth wing. He described the pullout as a collective, rational choice that prioritises PN's broader interests.

Johor Gerakan chairperson Teo Kok Chee

"Although Johor Gerakan will not field any candidates this time, it does not mean we will be absent from the state election. On the contrary, we will actively participate in another way, dedicating our full efforts to election work to secure a greater victory for PN."

Teo emphasised that close cooperation and teamwork within PN are vital to proving the alliance is a stable, pragmatic, and responsible choice for Johor voters.

"We will not lose our fighting spirit just because we do not have candidates on the field. Instead, we will concentrate our resources to fully assist PN candidates in winning the voters' mandate, contributing to the future development of Johor," said Teo.

Discontent over 'unwinnable' seats

Despite the official show of solidarity, an 8TV Mandarin News report quoting an anonymous party source revealed deep-seated resentment within Gerakan over PN's seat allocation.

According to the report, today's emergency meeting was actually triggered by fierce grassroots dissatisfaction with the seven state seats secured by party president Dominic Lau during central-level negotiations.

Local members reportedly labelled these seats - all Chinese-majority strongholds long dominated by the DAP - as "tough bone" (unwinnable) constituencies.

The source claimed that an initial proposal for PAS to cede one or two competitive mixed seats to Gerakan ultimately fell through, with the constituencies allocated instead to Bersatu.

This left state leaders and grassroots members feeling unfairly treated and deprived of viable, winnable seats.

However, Johor Gerakan secretary and national vice-president Koo Shiaw Lee rebutted the report, clarifying that the constituencies were actually part of its own wishlist.

He emphasised that the unanimous decision to skip the polls was a pragmatic move based on party preparedness and resource allocation, adding that Johor Gerakan remains fully committed to supporting PN's overall strategic deployment.

Reiterating Johor Gerakan's respect for PN's negotiation mechanism, Koo assured that the party will continue to support the coalition's strategic deployment and urged the public not to believe unverified speculative reports. - Mkini