KUALA TERENGGANU: The list of candidates for the Johor State Election (PRN) has been submitted by Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and is currently in the evaluation stage.
Deputy Prime Minister and BN Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the list of candidates that had been submitted to him would be finalised after he held discussions with the leaders of BN component parties.
“The candidates are in the evaluation stage, but we must also respect the candidates who come (put forward) from other BN component parties,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said this to reporters after the Closing Ceremony of the Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Economic Convention (KEUB 2026) here today.
The UMNO president, who also confirmed that Onn Hafiz would remain the “poster boy” in the state election, said BN was committed to winning more than 40 seats in this state election, surpassing the record achieved in 2022.
However, he admitted that no victory can be achieved easily except through hard work, wisdom and an organized machinery.
Apart from that, the various initiatives implemented by the Johor State Government under the BN administration for the well-being of the people of Johor are believed to gain the support and confidence of voters in this election.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid dismissed negative perceptions about the relationship between BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) following the decision to contest solo, by emphasizing that the Johor State Government under BN administration was formed before the existence of the Unity Government at the Federal level.
“The government in Johor is a BN government, not a Unity Government. The door has been opened by Johor BN for them to contest on a friendly basis in each of the 56 state assembly seats,” he said.
Yesterday, Onn Hafiz announced the dissolution of the Johor State Assembly after receiving the consent of the Regent Sultan of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail to pave the way for the state election.
Onn Hafiz previously confirmed that Johor BN would field candidates in all 56 seats in this state election.
In the 2022 general election, BN won 40 seats while Pakatan Harapan (12), Perikatan Nasional (3) and MUDA (1).
— BERNAMA
