'I'll help write your resignation letter,' Akmal tells Nga

 

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man took turns telling Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming of his “vow to resign if BN won the Johor state election”.

Akmal was blunt in his remarks, telling Nga he himself would write the resignation letter if the minister forgot how to do so.

“Nga Kor Ming, it’s okay. We’ll wait once this is over. If you do not know how to write a resignation letter, I’ll do it,” Akmal (above, left) said in a short clip posted on his Threads account last night.

Tuan Ibrahim, while congratulating the coalition in a statement today, said now that the state election is over, attention shifts to promises made during campaigning.

“One matter drawing significant attention is the statement by Nga, who pledged to resign if Pakatan Harapan failed to meet its target in the Johor state election.

“Naturally, the public is waiting to see if that promise will be honoured.

“The DAP leader must fulfil the pledge he made. Otherwise, (the party) will be seen as one that is adept at making promises but lacks integrity,” he said.

Vow to resign

Nga, in an interview with Oriental Daily last month, warned that a landslide Umno victory in Johor could lead to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s early release.

Najib Abdul Razak

If that were to happen, Nga said he would be the first to resign from the cabinet and warned that DAP might also quit the federal government.

In response, BN deputy chairperson Mohamad Hasan told Nga to resign immediately and accused the latter of arrogantly linking the Johor state election to Najib’s possible release.

Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, in response to Nga, claimed Harapan was pushing the narrative, urging political parties to exercise restraint in campaigning at that time.

In the Johor polls, which concluded yesterday, BN retained its hold on the state by winning 48 seats, adding eight more from the last state election in March 2022.

Harapan, which now makes up the only opposition in Johor, won eight seats, down from the 12 it held previously.

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The other major coalition, Perikatan Nasional, was wiped out from all three seats it once held.

Untrustworthy administration

Tuan Ibrahim, in the same statement, said BN’s landslide victory in Johor’s state election would broaden its influence in the federal government, potentially making it the “thorn” in the Harapan-BN administration.

He added that the election results demonstrate Harapan has yet to regain the public’s confidence, despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s frequent campaigning, which he deemed a rare move.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man

“Evidently, (Anwar’s) presence was insufficient to convince the electorate, who increasingly perceive him and the Harapan team as untrustworthy when it comes to fulfilling promises.

“For PAS and PN, this outcome serves as an opportunity for introspection.

“This failure to retain three seats highlights weaknesses that must be addressed, particularly regarding organisational coordination, the strength of the election machinery, and internal unity.

“A comprehensive post-mortem will undoubtedly be conducted to ensure that preparations for the Negeri Sembilan state election and future polls are more organised and effective.”

Tuan Ibrahim added that the overall result of the state election shows it is highly likely that the 16th general election will be held in the near future. - Mkini