BN strategy to keep Johor a ‘blue state’

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is confident that Johor will remain an Umno and Barisan Nasional stronghold in the 13th general election.

He said BN had certain strategies to ensure Johor remain a “blue state” although the opposition tried to infiltrate this Umno and BN fortress by choosing its influential leaders like Lim Kit Siang to contest in Johor in the upcoming polls.

“Whoever are the [opposition] leaders coming to Johor to contest, we will fight them.

“I see that our party members in Johor are the least daunted by this development but even more spirited as they want to prove that Johor is indeed a BN stronghold, a ‘blue state’,” he said.

Muhyddin, who is also Umno deputy president and BN deputy chairman, said this after opening the BN election machinery meeting for the Pagoh division at the Kompleks Seri Pekembar, here. Also present was its Pagoh BN chairman, Tahir Mohd Taat.

Muhyiddin noted that some opposition leaders had a fondness for hopping from one constituency to another, especially knowing that support for them in the constituency they currently held was declining.

“As they like to contest from one place to another, they have no loyalty to their voters. They think more of themselves than the party.

“…they are not thinking about serving the local community; what are important for them are material gains and self-interest. They move [to another constituency] on the excuse that it’s a political strategy.”

He said although the opposition might have its own groups of followers in the BN-held seats they wished to contest in, BN also had strong support in these areas.

Muhyiddin also said that the call by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat be made the burial ground for Lim’s political career, should be taken as a challenge by the BN election machinery.

Negative impact

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin has reminded the BN party machinery to refrain from resorting to factionalism throughout the 13th general election.

He said the practice must be avoided because it could have negative impact on the BN’s goal of achieving the best election result.

“Our fear is that factionalism is prevalent in many parties. What we want is that when the general election comes, the practice will not reach a negative stage.

“If there are areas which are not united probably because the selection [of candidates] at the division level has not been finalised… then we fear that it will affect the candidate’s success.

“It will pose an obstacle to the objective of succeeding in the general election. As such, I wish to remind party leaders at all levels to give attention to this problem,” he said.

He was confident that all leaders at every level understood the matter and wanted them to play a role so that such developments would not crop up.

He said this was among the two important matters emphasised by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to all party machinery in facing the GE13.

Muhyiddin said the prime minister also wanted the list of candidates that would be announced soon to be well accepted by everyone so that there would be no major problem that could be detrimental to the BN in the polls.

“When the time comes for the candidates to be announced, party members at all levels must give their trust and accept the decision so that the focus of the party in the general election will not be affected,” he said.

Careful selection was carried out because the current political scenario was different from the past where thorough study was needed particularly in certain constituencies, he said.

“We also cooperate with the component parties, focus in detail and we meet, not once but many times. If the matter has not been decided, we ask the leader concerned to return to his or her constituency and come back with the best formula and candidate for the constituency,” he said.

Muhyiddin said that the candidate selection process was almost finalised and was in the process screening by the Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the police, and the Insolvency Department besides passing the health examination.

- Bernama