JOHOR BARU, June 26 — With Umno from Perikatan Nasional (PN) eager for an early general election, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy president Datuk Salahuddin Ayub today challenged the coalition to start in Johor.

In his Facebook post, the Johor lawmaker said this stemmed from Umno leaders’s call for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to dissolve Parliament and call for a general election.

He challenged the PN leadership to dissolve the state assembly in Johor first, since Umno leaders were enthusiastic for the general election to be called.

“They (PN) refer to the country’s political instability as an excuse to hold a general election, then the move should start in Johor due to the political turmoil in the state,” said Salahuddin in his Facebook post today.

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The 59-year-old Pulai MP and Simpang Jeram state assemblyman also pointed out that both Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) should not delay any further and seek for the state assembly to be dissolved.

Salahuddin, a Johor native, was formerly the agriculture and agro-based industry minister in the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.

Yesterday, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan urged Muhyiddin to hold snap elections, after Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong decided to do so on Tuesday.

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Prior to him, other Umno leaders who have also made similar suggestions include the likes of vice-presidents Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, and Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

Earlier this month, Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar issued a warning to all of the state’s 56 state assemblymen to stop their politicking or he will make the call to dissolve the state assembly, which will pave the way for a snap election.

Johor faced political instability after the PN government took power in February causing the collapse of the PH government.

At present, Johor is controlled by PN under the leadership of its mentri besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad.

His administration holds a simple majority of 29 seats, while the state PH coalition has 27 seats.

The Johor assembly has 56 seats. Both Umno and DAP have 14 each. The remaining seats are held by Bersatu (11), Amanah (nine), PKR (four), MIC (two), PAS (one) and one independent.