Puad questions DAP’s motive behind its resistance to snap polls in Johor

JOHOR BARU: A senior Umno leader has questioned DAP over its resistance to snap polls in Johor, where the state government has only a one-seat majority.

“DAP has accused Umno of being crazy about having a state election. Isn’t it strange that DAP is bent on preventing it?” Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zakarshi said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 18).

He accused DAP of wanting an unstable government with a one-seat majority to continue in Johor.

“With such an unstable political scenario, it will be easy for the state government to be threatened and manipulated. That is DAP’s motive besides being afraid of losing,” he added.

Mohd Puad also said that with such a razor-thin majority, there would be some quarters that would be “demanding” and a “nuisance”.

“This is why there should be a government with a strong majority,” he wrote.

Speculation has intensified in the last few days of possible snap polls in Johor.

The administration of Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad is down to a one-seat majority after former mentri besar Datuk Osman Sapian, who was Kempas assemblyman from Bersatu, died on Dec 21 last year.

The Umno-led state government now has a simple majority, with 28 seats against Pakatan Harapan’s 27.

The current state government consists of Umno (14 seats), MIC (two), PAS (one) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (11), while the Opposition comprises DAP (14), PKR (seven) and Amanah (six).