JOHOR BARU: Voters should focus on choosing a government rather than individual candidates in the upcoming Johor state election, says MIC vice-president Datuk M. Asojan.
Calling on the public to support Barisan Nasional on polling day, Asojan said the coalition’s track record in governing Johor and addressing the needs of various communities should be the key consideration for voters.
“The Indian community in this state had benefited from a number of initiatives implemented under the leadership of caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, including efforts to resolve longstanding issues involving non-Muslim places of worship, Tamil schools and community facilities,” he added.
Asohan said this when met after the announcement of Barisan candidates for the Johor state election held at Johor Umno office here on Wednesday (June 24).
Among the achievements highlighted by Asojan was the establishment of a dedicated facility for Hindu funeral rites on state land at a cost of about RM1.8mil.
He added that the facility, which began operations in March, had fulfilled a long-standing need of the community and boosted confidence in the state government’s commitment to addressing their concerns.
Asojan also pointed to the approval of land for four Tamil schools and continued support for applications involving Hindu temples and Christian churches, adding that the state government had not sidelined any community in Johor.
On the party’s representation in the election, Asojan said MIC would field four candidates under the Barisan banner, with three of them being new faces.
Asojan also urged party members who were not selected as candidates to continue supporting Barisan’s campaign, saying candidate selection was based on the coalition’s assessment of its best chances of winning.
He reminded newly selected candidates, especially younger ones, to remain humble, stay close to the grassroots and seek guidance from experienced party leaders throughout the campaign.
