JOHOR Umno will be mobilising its machinery to Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Terengganu to assist in preparation for the impending state elections in the three states. 

The party’s state liaison committee chairman Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the move is not only to reciprocate the assistance of other states in helping Johor Umno when the state held its elections in March this year but also to share the struggle to ensure success for the party in the state elections.

“We have discussed assigning the roles of each division for the state polls in the six states. Johor Umno will be involved in the state seats located in 11 parliamentary constituencies in Selangor, six constituencies in Negri Sembilan and three constituencies in Terengganu.

“This is not only because other states came to help in the Johor state election but that we also felt it is a common struggle of ours in the state elections,” he said. 

He was speaking to the media after chairing the liaison committee meeting at the Johor Umno Liaison Committee office in Johor Baru today. Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan.

Khaled who is Higher Education Minister said state party machinery deployed for the state elections would also lend a hand to the partners of the unity government. 

On the division of seats for the state election to Barisan Nasional (BN), the Umno vice president said the matter is based on the formula agreed upon by all party leaders and details would be finalised before the nomination of candidates. 

Yesterday, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported to have said that BN is expected to contest 45% of the 245 state assembly seats in the six states while the rest will be contested by Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Khaled said a race-based party like Umno should not be rejected, considering that in government, it is more about the cooperation of all races. – Bernama, July 2, 2023.