KULAI: The Johor state election result will not disrupt the federal unity government, Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on the eve of polling day.
The Deputy Prime Minister said cooperation at the federal level had not been affected so far, and he hoped it would stay that way. This was because ministers and their deputies worked professionally, he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno president, acknowledged that parties held differing views and had raised issues in Johor to win support for their own candidates.
However, he said Cabinet meetings continued with decorum, regardless of those differences.
He said Barisan had seen a marked rise in Chinese and Indian support during the campaign, describing it as a new wave for the coalition.
"I hope this wave will hold until 6pm tomorrow," he told an event in Kulai on Friday (July 10).
He said he was confident that Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, Sarawakian and orang asli voters in Johor wanted the Barisan state government retained.
Ahmad Zahid thanked the machinery and members of Barisan from the peninsula and Sabah for supporting its 56 candidates over the 14-day campaign. Barisan is contesting 37 seats under Umno, 15 under MCA and four under MIC.
He said component party candidates had this time worked together under the Barisan banner, rather than separately as had happened before. He also said social media had played an important part in promoting the candidates of the coalition.
Ahmad Zahid urged polling agents to remain at counting centres after voting closed, saying the party would monitor the count and raise objections if needed. Polling takes place on Saturday (July 11).
