Mahkota polls: Azmin challenges Onn Hafiz to form Johor unity govt

KLUANG: Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has been challenged by Bersatu’s supreme council member Datuk Seri Azmin Ali to form a unity government if Barisan Nasional wins the Mahkota by-election.

Azmin said that Onn should show the people he was true to the spirit of unity or risk being seen as dishonest.

“Pakatan Harapan, PKR, DAP, Amanah supported Umno for the past two years, and they got nothing. Where is the spirit of the unity government in Johor?

“That is why I challenged Onn, the Mentri Besar, to respond whether they will form a unity government in the state that is in line with the Federal Government if they can retain Mahkota.

“If not, the rakyat will see that you are not honest. The people are now mature and need a fair reply from the Mentri Besar,” he told reporters after giving a ceramah on Wednesday (Sept 18) night.

Earlier in his speech, Azmin said that it was weird that there was no unity government in Johor and questioned whether the state was truly united.

“Is there a unity government in Johor? Are they really united? That is why Amanah is also upset. They (Amanah) have been supporting him (Mentri Besar) for the past two years and could not even get a head village position.

“I would like to ask the Mentri Besar, if they are able to retain the Mahkota seat, will he form a unity government like at the Federal level? Will he be brave enough to do that?” he said.

In the Johor, Barisan has 40 state seats, with 33 from Umno, four from MCA, and three from MIC.

Pakatan has 12 seats where DAP has 10 seats, PKR and Amanah with one seat each.

Perikatan Nasional has three seats with two from Bersatu and one from PAS, while Muda has one seat.

During a reshuffle of the state executive councillor earlier this year, Johor Amanah chief Aminolhuda Hassan said that Pakatan hopes to be given local councillor and village chief positions after being left out in the line-up.

The Johor exco line-up consists of 10 assemblymen, all from Barisan after the coalition won 40 out of 56 seats in the state election in March 2022.