Johor Polls: BN Surpasses 40-Seat Target, Expects Bigger Mandate, Says Ahmad Zahid
JOHOR BAHRU, July 11 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) has surpassed its target of winning 40 state seats in the 16th Johor state election, based on unofficial results available as of tonight, while remaining on course to retain its hold on the state.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition had not only matched its 40-seat victory in the 2022 Johor state election but was also on track to secure a bigger mandate to govern the state.
"Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah, the unofficial results so far show that BN has surpassed 40 state seats and we expect to win even more. Thank you to the people of Johor for once again placing their trust in BN," he told a press conference at the Johor UMNO Liaison Office here tonight.
He also expressed his appreciation to the party machinery, component parties, Friends of BN, campaign workers from across the country and volunteers from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who had been stationed in Johor throughout the campaign period.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, described the result as an outstanding achievement and a personally meaningful milestone for Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, whom he credited with leading the state administration with outstanding performance over the past four years.
However, Ahmad Zahid said the victory would not make BN complacent, saying that it would instead be accepted with humility and gratitude.
”We pledge to administer the state with the utmost commitment throughout this term and fulfil all the promises contained in our manifesto," he said.
He also gave his assurance that the BN-led Johor government would continue to work closely with the Federal Unity Government to ensure that all federal development plans and projects would be implemented smoothly at the state level.
"God willing, we want the people of Johor to reunite, remain united and put an end to political divisions. We want Johor to become the most developed state in Malaysia," he said.
Meanwhile, he expressed hope that BN's strong showing in Johor would serve as a catalyst for a "Blue Wave" in the Negeri Sembilan and Melaka state elections, as well as the next general election.
Ahmad Zahid said the BN headquarters would continuously monitor the performance of the Johor state government to ensure that all manifesto pledges were fulfilled and that issues affecting the people were addressed as part of efforts to realise Johor's aspiration of becoming a developed state by 2030.
A total of 172 candidates contested in the Johor state election, with BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) fielding 56 candidates each, followed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) with 33, Parti Bersama Malaysia 15, the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) four, Parti Orang Asli Malaysia and Parti Sosialis Malaysia with one each, as well as six independent candidates.
Before the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on June 1, BN held 40 seats, followed by PH with 12, PN with three and MUDA with one.
For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor.
-- BERNAMA
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