KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu dismissed claims that Perikatan Nasional had decided to support either Barisan or Pakatan should the Johor state election result in a hung assembly.
Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said he had not been informed of any discussions or official resolution on the matter.
"Until the matter is deliberated and formally decided by the coalition's supreme council, any statement or commitment to support Umno, Barisan, DAP or Pakatan reflects only the position of the individual making the statement, and not the official stance of Bersatu or Perikatan," he added.
He added that Bersatu's policy remains aligned with Perikatan's position of backing all coalition candidates contesting the 16th Johor state election.
Tun Faisal said it was the party's priority to ensure that Johoreans elect as many Perikatan candidates as possible.
He said this would help establish an effective system of checks and balances, similar to Selangor, where Perikatan's increased representation denied Pakatan Harapan a two-thirds majority in the previous state election.
"A larger Perikatan presence in the Johor state assembly and the denial of Barisan's two-thirds majority would strengthen the opposition's role in ensuring the state government acts responsibly, transparently and in the best interests of the people.
"If Barisan is denied a two-thirds majority, the state government will no longer be able to disregard public welfare or push through policies without proper scrutiny and meaningful debate in the state assembly, as had happened previously," he said in a statement on Thursday (July 9)
