JOHOR POLLS | As the Johor election kicked off, a slew of ministers appear to have a sudden urge to conduct working visits to the state.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (above) was not an exception.
Clad in a vest that carried the Health Ministry logo and the words "Kementerian Kesihatan" on his back, the minister visited a number of health clinics as well as BN election operations centres in the state seat of Layang-Layang in central Johor.
He started his round today with a visit to the Layang Layang Health Clinic, located some 20km from the Simpang Renggam town, at noon.
Khairy was joined by Johor health director Dr Aman Rabu and BN candidate for the Layang Layang state seat Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim, whom he introduced to several staff members.
Some in his entourage also sported a blue BN cap.
The minister and his entourage then made around at the staff housing inside the clinic compound, where Khairy greeted several occupants including a nurse whom he told to "look at the flags when you go out (to vote) and make a wise decision" before he and Mutalip burst into laughter.
After concluding his visit at the clinic, Khairy then headed to Layang Layang BN operations room nearby where he had lunch with party members and delivered a speech in support of Mutalip.
Then, the minister had changed to a BN vest and wore a “Keluarga Malaysia” cap during the event.
He then headed to another polling district in Pekan Bahru, before arriving at the Simpang Renggam Health Clinic's Covid-19 Assessment Centre for a press conference.
At the centre, the minister was accompanied by the Aman and also Simpang Renggam Umno division chief, Zakaria Dullah, who was wearing a blue BN T-shirt while another party member had the blue BN cap on.
When asked about the visits later during his press conference, Khairy denied that it was an abuse of government machinery for campaigning.
"Never did I say 'Hidup BN' during my visits. I have been very clear, that official visits will be strictly for official matters, there is no political speech. And I was also wearing the Health Ministry vest.
"After this, when I go visit the party operations room, I will change and wear a BN shirt. I even change my cap. So, I am being very clear," he said.
Khairy said it was "fair" for him to take time off during the campaign trail to detour to Health Ministry facilities.
"I must also make some visits. How can I come to Johor to meet with candidates and ignore the Health Ministry? But I am not using this as a platform to campaign.
"I never uttered any word to campaign here. I did not deliver any aid to the people. It is just a work visit, as I am here so I just visit.
"That is fair. Unless I use this as a platform to call all the doctors and nurses to vote for BN, then that would be wrong. But visits like this is okay, that is professional," he said.
Mixing official and political work
Even before campaigning officially began yesterday, several ministers had been conducting whirlwind visits across Johor on the grounds of a working visit.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, for example, was on a blitz visit from Felda Pasak in Kota Tinggi to Felda Bukit Batu in Kulai, two days before nomination day.
He also visited Tiram and Tanjung Piai. The reason for the blitz was done under the justification of launching events related to “Keluarga Malaysia” - the government's slogan.
A day later, Housing and Local Government Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican visited the project site of the Masai People's Housing Project and the Cendana Flats in Pasir Gudang, Johor, which are under his ministerial jurisdiction.
In between, he also attended the official launch of BN election candidates and followed BN advisory chairperson Najib Abdul Razak's on the campaign trail.
The ministers have mixed their official visits with party work to avoid outright accusations of abusing government machinery.
PN, which is campaigning on a platform of integrity and combating BN's alleged corruption, has likewise adopted a similar strategy.
PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin has used his capacity as the National Recovery Council chairperson to engage with Felda voters ahead of the Johor polls.
The engagement sessions were organised with the help of the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions), Abd Latiff Ahmad, who is from Bersatu. Muhyiddin is also the Bersatu president.
Campaigning for the Johor polls kicked off yesterday. Johoreans will go to the polls on March 12. - Mkini
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