Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has emphasized that success in Johor’s upcoming state polls will be measured by how many seats can be taken from Barisan Nasional (BN). He urged voters to seek a better power balance to strengthen Johor’s economic ties with Singapore, which has absorbed much of the state’s workforce and industry.
Loke, who leads the Chinese-majority Democratic Action Party (DAP), a partner in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, highlighted the challenge ahead. BN currently holds 40 of the 56 seats in Johor, and the state election on Saturday may offer BN a chance to regain national influence after years of diminished power.
The DAP is contesting 17 seats in Johor, promoting a platform focused on returning quality jobs, investment, and industry from Singapore to the Malay-majority state. Loke acknowledged the difficulty for Pakatan Harapan to form the state government but stressed the need for a balanced power structure to prevent a return to one-party dominance.
“We know it is a tall order for Pakatan Harapan to form the state government,” Loke told This Week in Asia during an exclusive interview at Malaysia’s parliament in Kuala Lumpur. “But we need to have some sort of balance of power in Johor, and to ensure that Johor will not return to the era of one-party dominance like in the past.”
Loke’s comments come amid growing restlessness within BN over its junior partner status in Anwar’s government, making the Johor polls a critical test for Malaysia’s political landscape.
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