JOHOR BARU, Aug 18 — Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief Aminolhuda Hassan today dismissed rumours that the Opposition has gained sufficient support to form the state government through crossovers.

He said claims that three assemblymen were defecting from the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) and keen to swear allegiance to PH were pue conjecture.

“It may just be a rumour as no PN representative or any of the pact’s assemblymen have contacted me,” the Parit Yaani assemblyman told Malay Mail when contacted.

However, Aminolhuda who is also state Amanah chief said the Opposition is open to negotiate with any PN assemblyman willing to switch sides.

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“Our goal is only to return the people’s mandate that was given to PH during the 14th general election,” the former senior state executive councillor said.

Speculation has been rife that three assemblymen, some say from Bersatu, are willing to return to PH. The rumours were fuelled by the large number of grassroots departures from Bersatu last week.

The four-year-old party had been a component of PH which was voted into power in Election 2018, until March when it left to form a new, informal alliance with Umno and PAS under the PN name.

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Johor Amanah Youth chief Taqiuddin Cheman claimed the visit by Bersatu president and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to the state last weekend lent credence to rumours that the ruling party was increasingly in shaky political ground with more members quitting.

However, he too said the possibility of three PN assemblymen crossing sides is still vague.

“What is certain is that Muhyiddin’s recent presence in Johor marks the unrest that took place after several Bersatu grassroot members left the party in Johor,” he told Malay Mail.

Taqiuddin, who is also the Pulai Sebatang assemblyman, said those who left Bersatu showed they were not “traitors” to the mandate given the party in GE14.

At present, Johor is led by PN under the leadership of its Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad who is from Umno.

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.