Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman brushed off the claim by DAP that Umno is fielding him in Gelang Patah as a tactic to end his political career.
Asked by reporters today if he was happy to contest in Gelang Patah, Ghani laughed and said: "No, I think... as I've said, I'm happy to finish off as menteri besar.
Responding to questions after giving appointment letters to three MCA candidates in a hotel in Johor Bahru this morning, Ghani maintained that the DAP claim was not true, that he had been given the mandate to contest in Gelang Patah.
Last night DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a ceramah in Kulai that Ghani had been snubbed by the Umno leadership and sent to Gelang Patah to face his father, Lim Kit Siang.
"Umno does not want Ghani anymore. Everyone knows he does not see eye-to-eye with (BN deputy chairperson) Muhyiddin (Yassin). Muhyiddin has been long wanting to get rid of Ghani.
"Ghani could not find any seat at state and parliamentary levels, so he approached (MCA president Dr) Chua Soi Lek and Chua said, 'Nah, take Gelang Patah'.
"This MCA has no standard. It takes a person that Umno does not want to cover its own shame because Chua does not dare to contest (in Gelang Patah)," Guan Eng said.
Ghani this morning said that he felt relieved to relinquish the top job in the state.
"I am very happy because I have served four terms... I have done what I could in the last four terms, I'm happy that somebody will continue."
However, Ghani refused to comment on who would succeed him after this general election should BN retain its southern stronghold.
Caretaker Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin, who will move from the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency to the Permas state seat, is tipped to take over from Ghani.
Asked by reporters today if he was happy to contest in Gelang Patah, Ghani laughed and said: "No, I think... as I've said, I'm happy to finish off as menteri besar.
Responding to questions after giving appointment letters to three MCA candidates in a hotel in Johor Bahru this morning, Ghani maintained that the DAP claim was not true, that he had been given the mandate to contest in Gelang Patah.Last night DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a ceramah in Kulai that Ghani had been snubbed by the Umno leadership and sent to Gelang Patah to face his father, Lim Kit Siang.
"Umno does not want Ghani anymore. Everyone knows he does not see eye-to-eye with (BN deputy chairperson) Muhyiddin (Yassin). Muhyiddin has been long wanting to get rid of Ghani.
"Ghani could not find any seat at state and parliamentary levels, so he approached (MCA president Dr) Chua Soi Lek and Chua said, 'Nah, take Gelang Patah'.
"This MCA has no standard. It takes a person that Umno does not want to cover its own shame because Chua does not dare to contest (in Gelang Patah)," Guan Eng said.Ghani this morning said that he felt relieved to relinquish the top job in the state.
"I am very happy because I have served four terms... I have done what I could in the last four terms, I'm happy that somebody will continue."
However, Ghani refused to comment on who would succeed him after this general election should BN retain its southern stronghold.
Caretaker Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin, who will move from the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency to the Permas state seat, is tipped to take over from Ghani.
Defend the 'Johor way', says Ghani
Ghani, who has been Johor menteri besar since 1995, also called on Johoreans to defend the 'Johor way' against the divisive politics brought in by the opposition.
"Recently, there have been efforts by the opposition to break the understanding and unity in Johor during this general election. We should defend, among others, the Johor way... with the support of all the ethnic communities.
"We call on the people of Johor not to be split and not to be trapped under the elements of the opposition to split the society in Johor in the 13th general election," he said.
The 'Johor way', a term frequently used by Johor BN leaders to unite Johoreans against 'outsiders', generally refers to the racial harmony and equal treatment to all races in the state.
The BN claims that the Chinese and Indian minority communities in Johor have been given fair treatment by the state government, especially in the development of vernacular education.
This, the Johor BN maintains, has resulted in the coalition receiving an overwhelming 63 percent of the popular votes in last general election despite the 'political tsunami' that hit the central and northern parts of the peninsula.
"Recently, there have been efforts by the opposition to break the understanding and unity in Johor during this general election. We should defend, among others, the Johor way... with the support of all the ethnic communities."We call on the people of Johor not to be split and not to be trapped under the elements of the opposition to split the society in Johor in the 13th general election," he said.
The 'Johor way', a term frequently used by Johor BN leaders to unite Johoreans against 'outsiders', generally refers to the racial harmony and equal treatment to all races in the state.
The BN claims that the Chinese and Indian minority communities in Johor have been given fair treatment by the state government, especially in the development of vernacular education.
This, the Johor BN maintains, has resulted in the coalition receiving an overwhelming 63 percent of the popular votes in last general election despite the 'political tsunami' that hit the central and northern parts of the peninsula.
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