Lunchtime at the Dataran Bukit Pasir food court brings a steady stream of customers seeking nasi campur, rojak and other local favourites.
But underneath the midday rush, the upcoming Johor polls is what is truly cooking on the ground.
For trader Lizahwati Abdul Jalal, 45, the transformation of the area over the past decade has been evident.
Having operated her stall at the food court for 14 years, she said improvements carried out by local authorities and Bukit Pasir incumbent assemblyman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh had made the area more comfortable for both traders and customers.
“There is now proper roofing, better facilities and programmes such as Jualan Rahmah and Jualan Kasih that attract visitors to the area,” she said.
However, Lizahwati believes more can be done to make the site in Bukit Pasir constituency a vibrant commercial destination.
“The facilities are there, but we want to see more activities organised so that more people come here regularly,” she added.
The mixed seat in the Pagoh parliamentary constituency was created in 2018 following a redelineation exercise, and it has quickly developed a reputation as a battleground where candidates and local issues could matter as much as party labels.
With about 32,000 registered voters, the seat covers a wide geographical area stretching from Bukit Pasir town to Panchor, Jorak, Sungai Raya as well as several traditional villages and agricultural settlements.
Demographically, Malays account for about 62% of the electorate, Chinese make up 33% and Indians stand at slightly below 5%.
During the 2022 Johor election, Barisan Nasional’s Mohamad Fazli (Umno) won the seat with 6,048 votes in a multi-cornered contest.
He defeated Perikatan Nasional’s Muhamad Nur Iqbal Abdul Razak (PAS) by a razor-thin majority of just 198 votes, while Pakatan Harapan’s Elia Nadira Sabudin (Amanah) finished third.
Independent candidate and former assemblyman Najib Lep also drew a significant number of votes.
The narrow result cemented Bukit Pasir’s reputation as one of Johor’s more competitive constituencies, where sudden shifts in voter sentiment can have a significant impact on the outcome.
Caterer N. Rajamany, 60, who recently started operating at the food court, sees untapped potential in Bukit Pasir’s growing food scene.
She said traders would benefit from better promotion and signage to make it easier for visitors to locate businesses.
“Sometimes people do not even know we are here.
“We need more visibility and promotion because many small traders depend on walk-in customers,” she added.
Rajamany, who sells tosai, putu mayam and nasi lemak among other things, believes the area can become a stronger food destination if local entrepreneurs are given more exposure.
For younger voters, employment opportunities remain a major concern.
Mohd Nazmi Abdullah, 25, who is training at GiatMara to be a welder, said many youths from Bukit Pasir continued to look beyond Muar for better-paying jobs.
“Many young people are considering working in Singapore because of the salary difference.
“There are jobs here, but income remains an important factor,” he said.
Nazmi said creating more high-value employment opportunities within the constituency would help retain young talent and reduce migration to larger cities or across the Causeway.
Meanwhile, manager Chiew Sai Ling, 48, said Bukit Pasir had become cleaner and more organised in recent years, with several new developments steadily reshaping the landscape.
She noted that Muar’s furniture industry, agricultural sector and growing tourism activities continue to provide economic opportunities.
However, Chiew believes there is still room to strengthen Bukit Pasir’s tourism appeal.
She suggested developing a fruit hub to capitalise on the area’s popularity among durian lovers and tourists, while also improving infrastructure for roadside hawkers.
“Many people come during the durian season.
“If this is planned properly, it can benefit local businesses and attract more visitors,” she said.
Chiew also called for safer trading spaces, pointing out that some hawkers continue to operate along busy roadsides.
With Bukit Pasir expected to be closely contested once again, the ability of candidates to address these bread-and-butter concerns could prove decisive.
For many voters here, the priority is less about political slogans and more about which candidate can deliver tangible improvements to livelihoods, jobs and local economic growth.
On June 22, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan’s chairman, announced Najib, who has since joined Amanah, as the coalition’s candidate for the seat.
Yesterday, Johor Barisan chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that Mohamad Fazli would defend his Bukit Pasir seat in the state election.
Najib previously served one term as Bukit Pasir assemblyman, representing PAS after winning the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018.
The Election Commission has set July 11 as polling day for the Johor election, with nomination day on June 27 and early voting on July 7.
Johor last held a state election on March 12, 2022, when Barisan secured a two-thirds majority after winning 40 of the 56 state seats.
Pakatan won 12 seats, Perikatan secured three while Muda won one.
