Don't rest on success in Malacca for Johor polls, Tok Mat tells BN

The Johor BN state election machinery should not rest on the coalition's success in the last Malacca polls, said Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.

Mohamad, as BN's election director for the upcoming Johor state elections, said each general election, by-election or state election would require its own strategy to be discussed with component parties.

"This state election is an important election and it would not be as easy as expected.

"I do not want the BN machinery to take it easy because they are swayed by sentiments of a comfortable win in Malacca, that we will also win big in Johor. It is wrong for us to assume that," Mohamad told reporters when met after MCA's annual Chinese New Year open house at the party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The function hosted by MCA president Wee Ka Siong saw attendance from Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, top BN leaders and cabinet members including Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, MIC deputy president M Saravanan, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Pekan MP Najib Razak and others.

BN previously confirmed it would be contesting in all 56 Johor state-assembly seats but Mohamad said the question of candidates or seat distribution has yet to be discussed by the coalition's supreme council.

 "Each by-election, state election and the general election is different, so we need to strategise.

"This includes seat distributions among BN components," said Mohamad.

Johor BN in the last 14th general elections had fielded candidates from Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan.

Since then, Gerakan had quit the coalition to join Perikatan Nasional.

'Johor gov't can't exist under threat'

Meanwhile, Mohamad reiterated Umno's stand that the Johor government could not continue to function "under threat" with a single majority in the House, after the passing of its Kempas assemblyperson, Osman Sapian.

"We do not want a government that is constantly being threatened, 'somebody' wants to press the button.

"It is not us that wanted to press the button, somebody wanted to press the button. But when we did press the button, the person got angry," said Mohamad.

Last November, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in a swipe at Umno veteran Shahrir Samad, had reportedly said he was not afraid to "press a button" and trigger the downfall of the Johor government.

Muhyiddin, who is also incumbent Gambir assemblyperson, claimed he had resisted withdrawing support for incumbent Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad out of concern for the people. - Mkini