Onn Hafiz points to host of succesful policies by the state govt
JOHOR BARU: Barisan Nasional is seeking a fresh mandate from Johoreans armed with its track record and achievements, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The caretaker Mentri Besar said the successes, especially on the economic and social front, did not happen overnight.
“This was all carefully thought out and done as a team. My concern is, if you switch ships now, you’ll waste time starting over.
“This is no time to experiment,” he said in a special interview with the media at his official residence here on Wednesday.
Onn Hafiz said the Johor government has the experience in handling top priority matters such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), managing relations with Singapore and working with investors from China, Europe and the United States.
Asked about some quarters playing up racial sentiments and the 1MDB scandal in the run-up to the polls, he said the case had already been taken to court.
“Perhaps they have run out of issues. What is their plan for Johor?” he asked, adding: “Who is their MB candidate, and what is their vision for Johor?”
He said it was important for leaders to outline specific plans instead of merely spreading hate, lies and inciting the people.
Onn Hafiz said that while there were specific parameters for action at the state level, the situation was different at the federal level.
On the success stories, he said that besides Bantuan Kasih Johor (BKJ), the state government had introduced various other initiatives to ensure that Johoreans benefited from billions of ringgit worth of investments flowing into the state.
“BKJ is a short-term measure to help the people. We have also introduced the Baucar Kasih Johor initiative at Medan Selera Kampung Melayu Majidee, drawing inspiration from a similar programme in Singapore.
“We are trying to replicate that concept across all local councils so that Johoreans have spots to enjoy affordable, quality and clean food,” he said.
Each household receives RM200 worth of vouchers to purchase food at the food court through the pilot project.
On housing, Onn Hafiz said the state government was implementing various programmes for the youth.
“So far, we have built about 25,000 affordable homes and are targeting 100,000 units by 2030.
“We also provide rental assistance, with successful applicants receiving RM2,500 annually, and we are even looking at helping with rental deposits.
“For house buyers, we provide RM5,000 in assistance to help cover legal fees and other related costs.
“When they move into their homes, we provide a further RM2,000 in assistance,” he said, adding these were some of the short and medium-term measures introduced.
