Some are going so far as to hire private cars, vans and even motorcycles to provide free transportation, mainly for their supporters and senior citizens.
One party is also planning van pick-ups at designated locations in Singapore to bring people back to vote, aiming for a higher voter turnout than the 54% recorded four years ago during the Johor election.
Campaigning in the coming days is also expected to highlight key issues and wooing more than 200,000 Johor voters working in Singapore to return home to vote.
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This is a significant voting bloc, as many of them are voters in southern Johor, mainly in areas held by Pakatan Harapan, including Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri, Kulai, Pasir Gudang, Tebrau and Pontian.
Party leaders have openly urged voters, not just those in Singapore but also those living elsewhere, to return home to vote.
Other hot topics being discussed in coffee shops and on social media include job creation, welfare assistance, addressing local council issues, the rising cost of living, affordable public housing, better healthcare and improved infrastructure, including public transport and water supply.
Another major voting bloc that parties continue to target is voters in Felda settlements, with more than 150,000 voters across 73 settlements statewide.
The Felda vote, once regarded as a “fixed deposit” for Barisan Nasional, began to shift away from the coalition before the 14th General Election, with more than a dozen seats going to Pakatan Harapan.
This Felda voting bloc is sizeable and could influence swing votes in at least 25 to 30 of the state’s 56 seats.
A settler from Felda Linggiu in Sedili said political parties have been actively campaigning in the area in recent days.
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Over the weekend, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, spent two full days attending at least 14 events across 13 constituencies, including key battleground seats such as Puteri Wangsa, Layang-Layang, Bukit Batu, Larkin and Perling.
He also met youths, religious leaders and members of the local community, outlining Pakatan Harapan’s plans and urging people to return home to vote.
He stressed the importance of electing capable and honest leaders who could bring progress to the state.
Similarly, Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been campaigning frequently since the June 27 nomination day, has urged voters to give Barisan a stronger mandate beyond the 40 seats it currently holds, while assuring them that the coalition is committed to fulfilling all the promises in its manifesto.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Dr Mazlan Ali expects more issues to be raised by political parties in the final three days before polling.
“The exchange between Anwar and caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Onn Hafiz Ghazi over the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is an example of how unexpected issues continue to crop up during this election.
“I will not be surprised if the government decides to publicly disclose more information about the project, similar to what they did when the state requested 25% of the revenue collected in Johor,” he added.
He believed the scales are still tipped in Barisan Nasional’s favour but said Anwar and Zahid’s personal involvement in campaigning demonstrates the significance of the election, as the outcome could set the tone for the upcoming Negri Sembilan election and even the 16th General Election.
“Even Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s son’s statement that a big Barisan victory would signal continued public support for his father, and his hope that Najib would receive a royal pardon, may not sit well with the Chinese community or the Malay middle class,” he said, adding that Pakatan was banking on a high turnout to come to power in Johor.
Mazlan is confident that both Anwar and Zahid will return to Johor for another round of campaigning in the final days leading up to polling day on July 11.
