JOHOR BARU July 6 — Johor DAP said today it will deploy its campaigners to assist both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in next month’s state polls, with Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan identified as priority states.
Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said this is because the Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan chapters already have sufficient campaigning support.
“The priority given for the remaining three states is due to the PH-BN candidates being expected to face off against a stronger Perikatan Nasional (PN) presence.
“So, a focused approach is given to the remaining three states, with PH and BN having a good chance at securing wins and possibly form the next state governments in Kedah and Terengganu,” the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) chairman told reporters at the 2030 Pineapple Industry Development Roadmap workshop here.
Yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the state polls in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan will be held simultaneously on August 12. Nomination date has been fixed for July 29 and early voting is on August 8.
Sheikh Umar, who is also the national DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) member, explained that attention is given to Kedah and Terengganu as the two states are familiar with state government changes compared to Kelantan.
“We are aware that it is not an easy challenge in Kedah and Terengganu, but it is not impossible to win if the election machinery and cooperation are well organised,” he said.
However, Sheikh Umar conceded that PH-BN is expected only to win some seats in Kelantan.
He added that the three states previously administered under PH, namely Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang, do not have many issues for the coalition to secure a win.
In a related matter, Sheikh Umar said DAP welcomed the decision by MCA and MIC not to field any candidates and will only support the BN candidates contesting in the coming state polls.
He expressed his gratitude for the commitment given by both BN component parties in continuing their efforts to assist the coalition’s campaign.
“The commitment shown by MCA and MIC shows their sincerity in supporting BN that is also a part of the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said, adding that the decision yesterday was believed to have been made with the knowledge of BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
