UMNO’S “court cluster” may force more state elections, Wan Saiful Wan Jan said, after the dissolution of the Johor state assembly.

The Bersatu information chief said the court cluster, which consists of president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his predecessor Najib Razak, is trying to bolster its position in Umno while distracting public attention from their trials.

“Maybe the court cluster is getting more desperate and feels that one way to escape prison is to destroy the separation of powers,” he said in the statement.

“To do so… they must seize power first. I would not be surprised if Johor is followed by other states.”  

Earlier today, Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad said although the state government had a single-seat majority, elections were needed in order to restore stability.

“The simple majority to govern in Johor is 29 seats, but when the Kempas seat was vacated, the government was one seat short of that simple majority,” Hasni, the Benut assemblyman, said at a press conference after his audience with the sultan of Johor, who agreed to the dissolution of the state assembly.

The Kempas seat was vacated last year when assemblyman and former menteri besar Osman Sapian died. 

Wan Saiful said Bersatu’s supreme council will finalise the party’s strategy for the elections soon.

“Johor politics is stable. There is no reason at all to hold elections, except for the lust of some people in Umno,” he added. – January 22, 2022.