JOHOR BARU: Barisan Nasional has finalised at least 80% of its candidates and seat negotiations and hopes to finalise everything by next week, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The Johor Caretaker Mentri Besar advised those who do not make the cut as candidates to know that this was not the end of the road for them.
“After this, they could have other responsibilities including being elected as an MP or even serving as the party machinery.
“Because the seats are limited and just like any other party, we should continue with the struggles and continue to be enthusiastic to ensure the party wins, as the final objective is to serve the people,” he said during a special interview session with the local media here at his official residence, Saujana, on Wednesday (June 17).
Onn Hafiz, who was tight-lipped about the candidate list, said that whether the candidate is young or old, the most important criterion is whether the person would be able to serve the people.
“It is pointless to have a young person with a lot of energy who is unable to serve the people.
“So for each of the 56 seats, we will pick based on the most acceptable and winnable candidate,” he said, adding that there would be a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian candidates.
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Asked about a quota or ratio for the number of new faces, he said they were not setting any ratio or quota and importantly, the candidate should be received by the community.
Onn Hafiz stressed that the decision was not his alone and, as such, he would need to get the approval from the party president and party leadership.
“Nothing is cast in stone until the day you get your appointment letter (watikah). In the past, there have been cases of the watikah being taken back. Because of this, I need to be very careful,” he added.
Asked about the performance of his state executive councillors, Onn Hafiz said that for himself and his exco members, the feedback must come from two parties.
“In Johor, it's very simple with the first feedback from the Johor Palace, including from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and also the Johor Regent.
“Besides them, we also get feedback from the people via social media, and when we go to the ground ourselves to gauge the situation,” he said, adding that they were always alert and sensitive about feedback.
“So far, a majority of the feedback has been quite positive,” he added.
Asked about his 100-day plans when elected and returned to power, Onn Hafiz said that they already had the momentum going for the past four and a half years.
“We have been working hard. When given the mandate again, we will continue the momentum to ensure the success of Maju Johor vision by 2030,” he said, adding that presently they were at the halfway mark and there was still a lot to do.
