Timing is the key if state polls were to be called

JOHOR BARU: While timing will be the key if and when Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad decides to go for an election, Umno has said that it is prepared for another state polls.

Party vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the decision whether Umno and Barisan Nasional would go solo would be decided by component party leaders when the time comes.

“If Johor decides to go to the polls, we are ready,” he said when asked on the issue after presenting school vouchers in Padang Terap, Kedah, yesterday.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Dr Mazlan Ali said the government should focus on recovery as the people were still reeling from the effects of two years of movement control order and the under-employment issues.

The people, too, were getting bored with Malaysian politics as issues facing them were still unresolved, he said.

As such, Mazlan questioned the need for a state election anytime soon.

“The Johor government still has the support and cooperation of both sides despite having a small majority.

“However, Hasni may seek the approval of the Johor Sultan to dissolve the state assembly as the state government’s position is quite fragile,” he said when contacted here.

Still, he felt there was little window for the elections.

“There might not be enough time to hold an election with Chinese New Year just around the corner, while the new school term will start in March.

“It is better for the state government to wait until the 15th General Election (GE15),” he added.

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia political analyst Dr Mohd Akbal Abdullah said it was important for Hasni to get a strong mandate from the people.

“With a state election, people can pick the government of their choosing and give them a strong mandate to govern,” he said.

Speculation has intensified that Hasni, who is also the state Umno and Barisan Nasional chief, could be calling for a snap state election soon.