Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident of securing enough seats in the upcoming Johor state election to form the next state government, according to Umno Information Chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said the coalition’s main priority is not the number of seats it wins, but obtaining a clear mandate from the people to govern Johor.
“We are confident BN can form the government, but as for the exact number of seats, I cannot say,” she said in an interview, adding that the matter would be better answered by Johor BN chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
She said the election outcome would depend on several factors, particularly voter turnout, including whether outstation voters return home to cast their ballots on July 11.
“Everything depends on the situation. If many outstation voters return, the contest could become more challenging, but it also depends on each constituency,” she said.
Commenting on criticism directed at the BN leadership by former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, Azalina said the attacks had not affected the party.
Responding to claims that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could be released if BN wins the Johor election, Azalina stressed that the matter has no connection to politics.
“The power to grant a pardon rests with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” she said.
When asked whether the Johor election results could threaten the Federal Unity Government or its majority in Parliament, Azalina, who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said Johor should not be viewed as a test case.
Instead, she believes the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election will provide a clearer indication of the Unity Government’s political standing.
“I think we need to wait and see the outcome in Negeri Sembilan because Pakatan Harapan holds many seats there. That situation is different from Johor,” she said.
