BATU PAHAT, June 30 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has set a big mission in Batu Pahat to defend the Rengit and Senggarang state assembly seats, as well as being determined to recapture the Penggaram seat in the 16th Johor State Election (PRN).
Johor BN chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the party’s target this time was to double the majority of victories in Rengit and Senggarang, thus strengthening the coalition’s dominance in the areas concerned.
“If in Rengit we won with a majority of almost 2,000 votes and our target this time is to double it, the same goes for the Senggarang seat where the majority is almost 4,000, we also need to increase that number.”
“In Penggaram, which is behind by more than 9,000 votes, we need to work harder to seize it and we are confident in the candidate this time,” he said when speaking at the Mandate Presentation Ceremony to the Batu Pahat Division BN Machinery in Rengit, today.
Also present were Penggaram DUN candidate Boo Chin Leong, Mohd Yusla Ismail (Senggarang) and Mohd Zaidi Japar (Rengit).
The Johor Menteri Besar reminded voters and the party machinery not to be influenced by the actions of a few leaders who attempted to sabotage or carry out personal attacks after not being listed as candidates.
He was referring to the actions of former Rengit Assemblyman (ADUN) Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who was accused of carrying out attacks on social media, including linking royal institutions to the nomination issue.
“You can attack me, but what’s important is that voters don’t follow that method and should follow in the footsteps of leaders who were not nominated but remain loyal.”
“We also found out about this through UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who he (Mohd Puad) wanted to nominate his own son,” he said.
The Johor state election saw 172 candidates contesting for 56 state assembly seats with polling day set for July 11, while early voting is on July 7.
— BERNAMA
