The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has dismissed claims that it is betraying the political cooperation formed after the 15th General Election (GE15) following BN Johor’s decision to contest all 56 state seats independently in the upcoming Johor state election.
BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir said the understanding behind the formation of the Unity Government was based on national responsibility to prevent the country from being dragged into prolonged political instability.
He stressed that the agreement remains intact until the end of the current mandate, adding that there was no issue of BN betraying the Unity Government.
“BN will continue to play its role in safeguarding government stability and the wellbeing of the people,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
At the same time, Zambry said the coalition’s leadership respects the stance taken by BN Johor regarding its direction and preparations for the upcoming state election, in line with the views expressed by grassroots leaders and component parties in the state.
On Saturday, Johor BN chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that the coalition would contest all state seats in the next Johor state election after considering the aspirations and expectations of BN and UMNO grassroots members in Johor.
Following the announcement, Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the coalition would also contest all seats in both future state and general elections.
Anwar further warned that PH would not hesitate to call for an early general election if necessary.
In the 2022 Johor state election, BN won 40 state seats, while PH secured 12 seats, Perikatan Nasional (PN) won three seats and MUDA captured one seat.
