JOHOR BARU: The higher the voter turnout in the Johor state election, the stronger the mandate the winning coalition will receive from the people, says Pakatan Harapan’s Dr Maszlee Malik.
The Puteri Wangsa candidate said a high voter turnout would give an advantage to any political group, including Pakatan, which pushes for the people’s agenda and voice.
“The bigger the number of people who come out to vote, the more it represents the real mandate from the rakyat.
“If only a small number cast their votes, then you will not get the true mandate from the people,” he said during a Johor state election dialogue organised by RTM, Astro Awani and Sinar Harian at the RTM auditorium here on Tuesday (July 7).
Maszlee also questioned the necessity of calling a state election at a time when Malaysians were grappling with global economic uncertainties and rising living costs.
“What is the justification for holding a state election at this point?” he added.
On Pakatan’s Johor manifesto, Maszlee said several proposals were modelled after initiatives successfully implemented in Selangor, including RM8,000 assistance for first-time homebuyers, while pledging continuous monitoring of manifesto commitments through mechanisms such as public dashboards.
On tackling the rising cost of living, he said one-off financial aid alone was insufficient and should be complemented by long-term measures to ease the financial burden on households.
He pointed to fuel subsidies and targeted assistance for businesses and producers as among the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts, adding that while there was still room for improvement, the Madani government remained committed to listening to public feedback and making necessary adjustments.
He also denied initiating the call for a debate with caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, saying it was a proposal suggested by netizens after nomination day and he merely accepted the challenge.
Johor will go to the polls on Saturday (July 11). Early voting took place on Tuesday (July 7).
