Pagoh no longer Muhyiddin’s stronghold, says Umno man

Pagoh no longer Muhyiddin’s stronghold, says Umno man


8 hours ago
Faiz Zainudin


Fazli Salleh says his victory four years ago proves that Bukit Pasir voters do not cast their ballots based on the influence of senior figures

Umno’s Fazli Salleh faces a three-cornered race as he seeks to retain the Bukit Pasir seat for a second term.

MUAR: The parliamentary constituency of Pagoh can no longer be considered the stronghold of Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and Perikatan Nasional (PN), says a Barisan Nasional candidate.

Umno’s Fazli Salleh, who is running for election in Bukit Pasir, one of two state seats in Pagoh, said the current political dynamics mean that no seat can be deemed “safe” for any party.

Although he won the seat with a slim 198-vote majority in 2022, he said the result proved that voters base their decisions on performance rather than the influence of senior figures.


Fazli acknowledged that Muhyiddin’s influence was still a factor given that he had been the Pagoh MP since 1978 and had contributed greatly to the area’s development.

However, he expressed confidence that voters would evaluate the performance of candidates and the incumbent state government during the state election.

“Although some people label Pagoh as a PN or Muhyiddin stronghold, I am confident that the people of Bukit Pasir know how to evaluate (which party and candidate to vote for),” he told FMT.

Muhyiddin retained his Pagoh seat for a ninth term in the 2022 general election (GE15) with a convincing 10,007-vote majority.

Based on the vote breakdown by state constituency, the former prime minister secured a majority of over 5,000 votes in Bukit Kepong and over 4,000 in Bukit Pasir.

In the election on July 11, Fazli faces Perikatan Nasional candidate Idzhar Nasiruddin of Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan’s Najib Lep, of Amanah.


Najib was the Bukit Pasir assemblyman from 2018 to 2022, when he was still in PAS.

Fazli said Muhyiddin’s majority in GE15 should be not be the main benchmark for how Bukit Pasir voters will cast their ballots.

He noted that the voter turnout in GE15 was much higher than in the 2022 state election, saying a similar lower turnout could be expected for this year’s state polls.

His aim is to increase his majority at the polls after serving as Bukit Pasir assemblyman and a state executive councillor over the past four years.

Johor more a bellwether for DAP than Anwar

Johor more a bellwether for DAP than Anwar

S Thayaparan
Published: Jun 29, 2026 9:30 AM
Updated: 11:34 AM


“Politics is a matter of choices, and a man doesn't set up the choices himself. And there is always a price to make a choice. You know that. You've made a choice, and you know how much it cost you. There is always a price.”

- All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

COMMENT | The upcoming Johor election will determine how the base is feeling about the DAP. All politics is local, of course, but rational Malaysians dissatisfied with how DAP has managed non-Malay issues in the era of Madani are going to see if their views are validated or rejected in this upcoming election.

Parti Bersama Malaysia, which is targeting five DAP seats, is going to discover if they have a chance of being part of the political process in this country or will they be consigned to the bin, merely a convenient online distraction.

Anecdotally speaking, I know many non-Muslims who are fearful of the Green Wave and would rather just vote for the lesser of two evils, and they believe DAP is still the best chance they have to ensure that their interests are taken care of.

They would rather the non-Muslims not rock the Madani boat. And believe me, I have much sympathy for that sentiment. As a long-time DAP supporter told me, “… there is a time to rant, and there is a time to vote”.

Of course, this is why things never change or rather, political parties believe that they need never change.


Building empowerment

This is also why Parti Sosialis Malaysia's S Arutchelvan, arguing for a progressive bloc, writes – “We need to stand to put our policies forward. We need to show that we are talking about systemic change, not just changing leaders or parties. We need to build empowerment at the grassroots; the very work that PSM has consistently done.”

S Arutchelvan


It is not that political operatives do not want to sell progressive ideas to their base, even though they live progressive/liberal lifestyles and the religious bureaucracy does not hassle them; it is that they want to keep existing narratives alive so they can profit from them politically.

Arutchelvan is correct when he points out that PAS and DAP use racial narratives, but more often than not, the latter is a defence against the former.

Increasingly, when non-Malays vote, they vote because they want their communities to be left alone. Every time a non-Malay votes, it is in the expectation that whoever they vote for will constrain the religious and racial excesses of mainstream Malay politics. This involves issues from closing down non-Muslim businesses to unilateral conversions to destroying places of worship.

We are really not talking about deep policy issues but merely democratic instincts of self-preservation. This is probably why non-Malays latch onto any Muslim personality who makes the right noises about issues they consider sacred. This is why the non-Malay vote is considered secure in the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

The mandarins of the DAP must be really grateful for this election because it puts the kibosh on the whole deadline thing.


Elections have consequences

The Malay community has choices that non-Muslims do not. Now, while these choices may be more of the same, the reality is that they can punish incumbents and political parties that claim to represent them.

This is why folks say elections have consequences. Malay power brokers understand that it really does not matter what they do because the DAP support base will not punish DAP, unlike the Malay majority polity, who have demonstrated their willingness to shift their support to whatever reactionary Malay/Muslim party they think best serves their interests.

But keep in mind they also thought about this in MCA. What destroyed MCA was not DAP’s propaganda but the acceptance by a large voting demographic of the Chinese community that no representation in the government is better than MCA representation.

This is why we get folks talking about how DAP makes a better opposition for the non-Malays than when they actually occupy seats of power.

The online harassment of third-party candidates, as well as the demeaning of so-called mosquito parties and outliers speaking against the double talk of DAP, is a testament that the non-Muslims have shot themselves in the foot when it comes to viable alternatives to legacy parties.

This is an ethnocracy where all these proud defenders of bangsa (race) and agama (religion) run to DAP and the non-Malays when they need our help and then take a dump on us when they feel confident enough that they have suckered their community into voting for them again.


Afraid to take chances

What we are dealing with here is a new political terrain where there are no truly progressive political parties in the mainstream establishment.

Yes, we could hope for independent candidates and outlier coalitions, but people are too afraid to take any kind of chances, which is what these legacy parties are banking on. This is about fear.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is very well aware that although on social media, non-Malays rant and rave, the reality is that when it comes to the ballot box, they will vote for his factotums because they believe that flawed as he is, there is no alternative.

PM Anwar Ibrahim


For people I have spoken to who are dissatisfied with the way things are, they do not really blame Anwar. They blame DAP for not speaking up. After all, Anwar, they say, is taking care of his community, but why is DAP kowtowing to everything?

This, of course, directly opposes how Perikatan Nasional voters think. They have seen Malay politicians brought down by the will of the people and by factional ideological blocs.

They understand that the individual is less important than the political parties that they support or from which they can withdraw their support.

More the pity that the non-Muslims do not have this advantage.

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

Harapan's real enemy in Johor may not be BN

Harapan's real enemy in Johor may not be BN

Mahathir Mohd Rais
Published: Jul 1, 2026 11:32 AM
Updated: 1:32 PM



COMMENT | BN will most likely win Johor, and anyone inside Pakatan Harapan who cannot admit that is not reading the ground properly.

Johor is not a state where BN has to start from zero. The machinery is there, the branches are alive, and the local figures are known.

In many areas, people still know which BN man to call when something needs to be solved. Some complain about BN, some are bored with BN, some want better choices, but familiarity still carries weight.

Harapan cannot fight the election by pretending otherwise.

The issue is not whether BN can form the next state government. BN probably can. The issue is whether BN returns with the same comfort it had in 2022, or whether voters cut that comfort down.

BN won 40 out of 56 seats in the last state election. That was enough for BN to behave as if Johor was safely back in its hands. If BN now wins around 35 seats, it still governs because the simple majority is 29.

But 35 is not 40. It means BN has lost ground. The state is still under BN, but not as securely as before.

Harapan cannot afford to lie about its own target either. Johor will not be taken by mood, slogans or speeches alone. BN’s base is still wide, especially outside urban and mixed constituencies. Harapan’s strength is more concentrated. The numbers are not easy.

Not a useless election

But the election is not useless. If Harapan cannot form the government, it must take as many seats as possible from BN and make the next BN government smaller than it wants to be.

Even that argument is not enough. Harapan cannot walk into Johor pretending voters are waiting to be rescued from a government that has done nothing.

BN has been handling the usual rakyat work. Floods, housing issues, small traders, state aid and local services still go through the BN-led machinery. Voters know this. Some may be unhappy with the speed, the quality or the politics behind it, but they are not blind.

So Harapan must answer the question properly: what exactly are you offering that BN is not already doing? Another service centre? Another assemblyperson to forward complaints? Another speech about checks and balances?

If that is all, voters will shrug. Harapan cannot survive in Johor by selling a weaker version of BN’s ground service, especially while sitting with BN in Putrajaya. It must prove why its presence changes anything.

Does it expose what BN hides? Does it force faster action? Does it protect areas BN takes for granted? Does it speak when state agencies fail, or only when cameras are around?

If Harapan cannot answer that, not all disappointed voters will return to BN. Some are still anti-BN, but no longer fully convinced by Harapan. They may want to punish Harapan without crossing back to BN.

They may still reject BN, but they are tired of Harapan’s compromises. These voters exist in urban seats, mixed seats, younger circles, professional groups, old reform networks and among people who once defended Harapan with real conviction.


Moving beyond BN

Harapan asked voters for years to reject BN. Many did not treat that as normal party talk. They defended Harapan in family arguments, in WhatsApp groups, at workplaces and in coffee shops.

They stood by the idea that old politics had to be challenged. Then the federal arrangement happened, and Harapan sat with BN in Putrajaya.

There are reasons for it. There is arithmetic behind it. But voters are not calculators. They remember the old speeches. They remember the old anger. They remember being told that Malaysia needed to move beyond BN, and now they are asked to separate Putrajaya from Johor.

Parti Bersama Malaysia lives in this gap. It does not need to take over Johor. It only needs to give disappointed Harapan voters somewhere to dump their anger without going back to BN.

In a marginal seat, a few hundred votes can decide everything. A voter may think he is only punishing Harapan, only rejecting the compromise in Putrajaya, only sending a message that the party should not take reform voters for granted.

Once the votes are counted, that protest may appear as another BN seat.

Don’t laugh Bersama off

That is why Bersama should not be laughed off. It does not need a massive wave. It only needs the right frustration in the wrong seats.

It can speak to younger voters who think Harapan has compromised too much, urban fence-sitters who dislike BN but no longer feel excited by Harapan, and old supporters who still cannot fully accept seeing Harapan and BN under the same federal roof.

Bersama is not strong enough to replace Harapan, but it may be strong enough to weaken Harapan.

Harapan cannot answer this by scolding voters. No party owns voters. Harapan does not own urban voters, Chinese voters, Indian voters, young voters, or reform voters.

If they are disappointed, Harapan has to face them properly. The answer cannot be guilt. It cannot be arrogance. It cannot be “you have no choice.” Voters hate that tone, and they should.

The honest answer is simpler: if the aim is to reduce BN’s majority in Johor, the vote must go where it can become a seat. In most constituencies, that means Harapan.

A Bersama vote may feel clean to an angry Harapan voter. It may feel like a way to punish the party without returning to BN.

The trouble is that elections do not care how clean a vote feels. If Bersama takes enough votes from Harapan in a close seat, BN benefits.

BN does not need every voter to love it. BN only needs its base to hold, its machinery to work, and its opponents to split. That is how seats are won even when the wider mood is not fully behind the winner.

Harapan has to speak to its own voters before Bersama does. Harapan works with BN in Putrajaya. That part cannot be hidden. But it does not follow that Johor must give BN another large mandate.

The federal arrangement was forced by national numbers, not by love for BN. Cooperation in Putrajaya does not mean BN should be rewarded with an oversized mandate in Johor.

If Harapan cannot explain that in plain language, Bersama will explain it against Harapan, and BN will quietly enjoy the damage.


Strong Harapan vs weak Harapan

This is the practical value Harapan must sell. A stronger Harapan bloc may not form the state government, but it can still bargain, pressure and force commitments on issues that affect Johor voters.

A weak Harapan can only complain from the side. A stronger Harapan can make the next government think twice. If Harapan cannot make that case, then its campaign becomes another recycled promise that sounds good during campaign week and disappears after polling day.

The worst outcome for Harapan is not simply losing Johor. BN winning Johor is already the likely outcome. The worst outcome is losing seats that could have been won because Harapan’s own disappointed voters drifted to Bersama, allowing BN to walk through the gap and claim a stronger mandate than it deserves.

That would not be bad luck. That would be Harapan failing to manage the doubt created by its own compromises.

Johor voters who still want BN checked have to decide what their vote is meant to do. If the vote is only a message, Bersama may look attractive. If the vote is meant to change the seat count, Harapan remains the more practical vehicle in most constituencies.

A message can feel good for one night. A seat changes the balance for five years.

Harapan should not waste time pretending BN is weak. The task is to stop BN from winning too comfortably. That starts with Harapan proving its added value, facing its own voters, and stopping Bersama from turning disappointment into extra seats for BN.



MAHATHIR MOHD RAIS is a former Federal Territories Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional secretary. He is now a PKR member.

Israel is a Terrorist State

From the FB page of:

Amara News ·

Follow

pstedSoorn17f5c46131amif708163m4fiai41i9hit7lci9u0hcumu5ciat ·

Carrie Prejean Boller, former member of Trump's Religious Liberty Commission, is speaking out strongly against the attacks.

Last night Israel bombed civilian tents again in Khan Younis.

After nearly 1,000 days of genocide, Israel continues the same massacre.

Entire families were hit while sleeping in the darkness.

Innocent civilians, including children, were killed by the bombs.

How much longer will the world stay silent in the face of this barbarity?

#FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #StopTheBombing

Pakatan’s Sharon Teo rejects ‘parachute candidate’ label, cites years under Salahuddin’s mentorship

Pakatan’s Sharon Teo rejects ‘parachute candidate’ label, cites years under Salahuddin’s mentorship



Sharon Teo, 36, said she gained invaluable leadership lessons from the late Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, particularly in humility, accessibility and a steadfast commitment to serving the people regardless of race or background. — Bernama pic

Wednesday, 01 Jul 2026 4:03 PM MYT


JOHOR BHARU, July 1 — Her experience serving as a special officer to the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub has shaped the political values and approach adopted by Sharon Teo Siew Hui, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Permas, who has pledged to place public service at the centre of her agenda if given the mandate in the Johor State Election.

Teo, 36, said she gained invaluable leadership lessons from the late Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, particularly in humility, accessibility and a steadfast commitment to serving the people regardless of race or background.

She described the late leader, widely associated with the title “Bapa Rahmah Malaysia”, as the primary inspiration behind her political journey.

“I joined Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in 2018 because he was my mentor. Before that, I only supported him voluntarily, but after getting to know him better, I was inspired by his character and the way he served the people.

“He was a very humble person. That is the spirit I want to bring to Permas,” she said in an interview with Bernama today.

Teo said accompanying the late Salahuddin throughout several general elections and state elections gave her a deeper understanding that being an elected representative goes beyond receiving complaints—it requires ensuring issues are followed through until they are resolved.


“I still remember how he personally monitored the progress of public complaints until late at night. Sometimes, even close to midnight, he would send WhatsApp messages asking whether people’s problems had been resolved.

“That is the approach I want to bring to Permas,” she said.

Responding to claims that she was a “parachute candidate”, Teo dismissed the label, saying it did not reflect her political journey.

She said she has been actively involved with Amanah since 2018, beginning as an ordinary member before serving as Assistant Secretary of Amanah Johor and later becoming head of Amanah Johor Wanita Muda (WARDA).

Teo added that Permas is also familiar territory, as she frequently accompanied the late Salahuddin on campaign visits and community engagements in the area during previous elections.

She said the reception from voters during the first five days of campaigning had strengthened her confidence to continue engaging residents from various backgrounds.

Among the issues most frequently raised by voters, she said, were infrastructure concerns including potholes, deteriorating back lanes behind commercial premises, traffic congestion and the need to upgrade public facilities.

Teo also pledged to focus on young people, especially first-time voters and school leavers, by engaging them through social media outreach and e-sports initiatives.

“If elected, she said her first 100 days in office would focus on identifying the most urgent issues affecting the Permas constituency, gathering comprehensive data and developing phased solutions.

“My three main priorities are to establish PermasKu as a one-stop centre for managing public complaints so that every issue is monitored until resolution, and conduct a comprehensive infrastructure audit across Permas to identify urgent priorities.

“I will also go directly to every area to engage residents and develop action plans based on real community needs rather than assumptions,” she said.

The Permas state seat will see a four-cornered contest involving Teo, the incumbent and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Baharudin Mohamed Taib, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) candidate Dr Zamil Najwah and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate T. Vela.

For the latest updates on the 16th Johor State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/. — Bernama

Selangor Sultan credits Najib for LRT3, says project restored under Anwar, faults Lim Guan Eng over project cuts

Selangor Sultan credits Najib for LRT3, says project restored under Anwar, faults Lim Guan Eng over project cuts



In a statement marking the opening of the Shah Alam LRT3 line, the Selangor Sultan credited Datuk Seri Najib Razak for approving the project following his request in 2015, and praised Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for continuing the project and restoring five previously cancelled stations. — Picture via Facebook/Selangor Royal Office

Wednesday, 01 Jul 2026 5:22 PM MYT


SHAH ALAM, July 1 — The Sultan of Selangor today credited former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with approving the Shah Alam LRT3 project at his request in 2015, said the subsequent Pakatan Harapan administration had reduced its scope, and praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for restoring key elements of the project.

In a statement issued to mark the opening of the Shah Alam LRT3 line, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said the rail project was conceived to ease chronic traffic congestion faced by commuters travelling between Klang, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur.

“First and foremost, I would like to give credit to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for heeding my decree that a rail transport facility be built connecting Klang, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur,” the Sultan said.

The Ruler said he first raised the proposal with Najib during a breaking-of-fast gathering at the former prime minister’s residence in 2015.

“I still remember informing Datuk Seri Najib Razak of this during a breaking-of-fast event at his house in 2015, and he accepted my proposal without hesitation,” he said.

The Sultan said the request followed numerous letters he had received from housewives describing how their husbands routinely returned home late because of heavy congestion, particularly along the Federal Highway.

He added that, at the time, Klang had only two bridges crossing the Klang River, worsening traffic bottlenecks during peak hours.


He also noted that Najib’s administration abolished the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas in 2018 as an immediate measure to help ease congestion.

The Sultan said the LRT3 project was delayed for more than 18 months following the change of federal government in 2018, before facing a further 19-month setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the Finance Ministry under then finance minister Lim Guan Eng, together with his adviser Tony Phua, had reduced the project’s investment cost after describing it as a “mega project”.

“I wish to emphasise that this is not a mega project and not a project for prestige, but a project for the interests and welfare of my people,” the Sultan said.

He also said Lim and Phua “did not understand the purpose of the LRT3 project to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people”.

According to the Sultan, the Finance Ministry under Lim Guan Eng also reduced the size of each station, cut the number of train carriages and cancelled five proposed stations along the alignment.

The Sultan credited Anwar, who also serves as the current finance minister, with continuing the project after taking office and reinstating the five cancelled stations.

“Alhamdulillah, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assumed the posts of prime minister and finance minister, he agreed to continue the project by reinstating the five stations that had been cancelled,” he said.

The Sultan added that Anwar had also agreed to build affordable housing around the stations and along the LRT3 corridor, while directing that there should be no further obstacles to the project’s implementation.

“I thank and congratulate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

The ruler also cautioned against attempts by any party to claim sole responsibility for the completion of the line.

“I do not want any party to take the opportunity to claim that the successful implementation of the LRT3 project is solely the result of its own efforts,” he said.

“The reality is that this project is the result of continuous planning, commitment and cooperation by various parties across several administrations for the benefit of the people of Selangor.”

The Sultan said he hoped the new rail line would reduce the number of vehicles on the road while providing faster, safer and more comfortable travel for commuters, particularly those living in Klang and Shah Alam who work in Kuala Lumpur.

He also urged Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to maintain the LRT3 line properly so it could continue operating smoothly.

The Shah Alam LRT3 line began operations on Monday, connecting Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya with Johan Setia in Klang through 20 stations, and offering seamless transfers to the Kajang and Kelana Jaya Lines.

The line is intended to improve public transport connectivity across western Selangor while easing congestion on one of the country’s busiest commuter corridors.

***

Should HRH criticise Guanee? I find it a bit unusual.

Marina: DAP leader's stance on Najib pardon drove me out of politics

Marina: DAP leader's stance on Najib pardon drove me out of politics


Published: Jul 1, 2026 2:07 PM
Updated: 4:16 PM



Former DAP Skudai assemblyperson Marina Ibrahim has revealed that a party leader's position on former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's pardon was the "last straw" that shattered her faith in politics and prompted her to retire from the political arena.

In a Facebook post last night, she said elections often expose politicians' true colours, claiming that whenever polls approach, the Najib issue resurfaces with the message that "a vote for BN equals saving Najib."

"I only hope that the DAP leader who met with me at a community clothing shop in Taman Mas (Skudai) on April 12 still has a shred of shame left when reading this article. That is, of course, if they still have any sense of shame.

"Many say I betrayed the struggle. Many also say I sulked and left just because I was moved to a different constituency.

“But they do not know... I lost faith in politics not because I was moved. That conversation was the very point that completely destroyed my confidence in our principles."


Timing of pardon

Marina claimed the DAP leader, who had previously been outspoken against Najib's pardon, told her there was nothing wrong with the former Umno president receiving a royal pardon and serving his sentence under house arrest in view of his past contributions.

She quoted the leader as saying: "We hope Najib only receives his pardon after the general election. If he is pardoned before the election, the public’s trust - especially the Chinese community's - towards us will decline."

Ex-PM Najib Abdul Razak

Marina said the conversation convinced her the DAP leadership already knew Umno's position on the issue and understood there was a high likelihood that Najib would eventually be pardoned.

"If Najib only receives his pardon after the party wins GE, by then it will already be a done deal. Voters will just have to accept it, and positions within the government will no longer be affected.

"At that time, no one knew when the state election would be held. That is why this issue was not played up openly; instead, they chose to remain silent as long as they could," she added.


‘Political performance’

According to Marina, the DAP leader also spoke about plans to manage public perception during the party's upcoming special congress to regain the confidence of Chinese voters and avoid a repeat of the backlash seen in the Sabah election.

“How certain leaders would be willing to resign from their ministerial posts if Najib received his pardon too early, but at the same time, would still openly declare their continued support for the federal government.

"To me, all of that looked more like a political performance. Because they also knew that by then, the general election would not be far off.

“Resigning as a minister would no longer have a major impact on the party, but it would give the impression that they still have 'principles'. All of this was done solely to avoid the anger of voters, just like what happened in Sabah," she said.

Marina questioned whether the issue of Najib's pardon would have been raised so quickly to attack the opposition if Johor Umno had not first declared it did not want to cooperate with DAP ahead of the Johor election, or whether it would have remained buried.

"For four years, we have all known Umno’s stance on the Najib issue. If DAP truly considered this a red line that could never be compromised, why did they continue to hope that cooperation with BN would carry on for those four years?"

She noted that Johor never had a unity government and argued that, if the issue truly involved non-negotiable principles, DAP should have been the first to sever ties with Umno in Johor.

"Yet until right before the Johor election, DAP leaders were still trying to secure cooperation with BN and hoping the relationship could continue.

“Is this a matter of principle, or a matter of political necessity?"

She also pointed out that Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, a frequent DAP critic, did not "join BN, Umno, or become a Malacca exco member yesterday."

"If Umno had not drawn that dividing line first, would the narrative of 'a vote for a certain party equal a vote for Akmal' have even emerged?"

Marina conceded that perhaps she was too “naive” and did not know how to play politics.

"But I cannot help but ask: Has manipulating the voters' trust truly become part of political strategy? Is the problem that my worldview is not big enough, or has deception simply become considered a norm in politics?"


Denies being influenced

Marina also dismissed claims that she had been influenced by those around her, saying critics did not know her team and that none of them had vested interests.

She revealed that the final sentence in her letter declining the party's offer to contest read: "I hope that as leaders, we will never forget the reason why the voters placed their trust in us in the first place."

"In the past, when others did the same thing, we said it was wrong. Today, when we do it ourselves... suddenly it becomes right? Or do principles actually change depending on who is doing it? If that is the case... isn't that what you call a double standard?"

"Most of the time, the scary thing is not which side you stand on. What is more worrying is when your stance constantly shifts according to the situation, and then everything is packaged, justified, and the people are even manipulated and incited to agree with what you call 'the bigger picture'."

"You can very well consider me not mature enough or lacking in experience. But to me, what is called 'the bigger picture' is often just a narrative carefully constructed by politicians. A narrative that exploits the people's sense of justice, emotions, and trust so they believe it is the only right path."

"The reality of the bigger picture is simply this: you, the people, are the chess pieces. But the ones moving the chess pieces are certain politicians seeking their own interests."

Lim Guan Eng urges PM to repay Penang RM2.8b ‘shortfall’ and overhaul state funding formula

Lim Guan Eng urges PM to repay Penang RM2.8b ‘shortfall’ and overhaul state funding formula



The DAP national adviser said Penang received less in federal allocations than it contributed between 2023 and 2025, and urges the government to adopt a formula that ensures fairer distribution among states. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Wednesday, 01 Jul 2026 12:24 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng today urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to return what he described as a RM2.8 billion shortfall in federal allocations to Penang and introduce a new funding formula to ensure states are treated more equitably.

In a statement, the Bagan MP argued that Penang had received less in federal allocations than it contributed to the federal government between 2023 and 2025, citing figures disclosed by Anwar in Parliament.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should work out a justice for all formula in compliance with the constitutional right of equality before the law, to immediately return Penang’s shortfall in Federal Government’s allocations of RM2.8 billion from 2023-2025 as compared to Penang’s contributions to stop Penangites from being shortchanged,” he said.

According to figures cited by Lim, Selangor contributed an average of RM43.6 billion over the period and received RM15 billion in allocations, while Johor contributed RM14 billion and received RM16 billion.

Penang contributed RM10.7 billion but received RM7.9 billion, while Kedah contributed RM3.7 billion and received RM9.5 billion.

Lim said Selangor and Penang were the only two states that received less than they contributed to the federal government during the period.

“There is no justification for Penang to receive less than Kedah when Penang contributes much more to the federal government,” he said.


He called on the federal government to immediately make good the RM2.8 billion difference, arguing that Penang’s residents should not be disadvantaged despite the state’s contribution to the national economy.

Lim also framed the issue in political terms, saying Penang’s support for the unity government should be recognised.

“To reciprocate Penang’s 1.8 million people’s strong support for the Prime Minister and the unity government, Anwar should immediately return the shortfall of RM2.8 billion over the three-year period from 2023-2025,” he said.

He warned that failing to do so “would create a sense of grievance amongst Penangites that their support for Anwar and the unity government is not appreciated and taken for granted.”

Lim also urged the government to establish what he described as a “formula of justice for all” to ensure Penang would not be “shortchanged” in future allocations to states.

Earlier today, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow also called for a fairer return of federal revenue, but stressed that the state was “not seeking special treatment, but equitable revenue distribution based on its actual contribution to national development.”

Welcoming Anwar’s disclosure of state contribution and allocation figures in Parliament, Chow said the data confirmed Penang’s role as “one of the country’s main engines of economic growth” and a net contributor to federal revenue.

He also thanked the federal government for backing major infrastructure projects in the state, including the Mutiara Line LRT, the expansion of Penang International Airport and flood mitigation works.

Wee Ka Siong rejects Pakatan claim that Perikatan is helping BN in Johor polls

Wee Ka Siong rejects Pakatan claim that Perikatan is helping BN in Johor polls



MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has denied Pakatan Harapan’s claim that Perikatan Nasional is helping Barisan Nasional in the upcoming Johor state election. — Picture via Facebook/WeeKaSiong

Wednesday, 01 Jul 2026 2:23 PM MYT


JOHOR BAHRU, July 1 — MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has denied claims by Pakatan Harapan (PH) that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is helping Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor state election.

He described the claims as baseless, saying this was reflected in the four state seats contested by MCA under the BN banner.

Wee, who is the Ayer Hitam MP, said the Jementah, Paloh, Layang-Layang and Stulang seats that MCA is contesting are expected to see fierce three-cornered contests involving BN, PH and PN.

“That alone is enough to expose the absurdity of DAP’s claim that ‘PN is going easy on BN’,” he said in a post on his official Facebook page today.


Wee said he attended a ceramah in Jementah last night to campaign for BN candidate See Ann Giap, who is taking on both DAP and PAS in what he described as a highly competitive contest.

“If MCA is being given a free pass by PN, why would our candidates be challenging both PH and PN on the ground?

“The facts simply do not support DAP’s narrative,” he added.


Wee also rejected the claim that an MCA candidate who loses could still be appointed as a nominated state assemblyman and subsequently made a member of the Johor executive council.

He reminded that the Johor Constitution does not allow for such an arrangement.

“Spreading misinformation may make for catchy political rhetoric, but it does not change the law,” he said, referring to the recent bill passed by the Johor state legislative assembly allowing for the appointment of five non-elected state assemblymen.

MCA is fielding 15 candidates, including 11 new faces, in the upcoming Johor state election.

PAS afraid to take on DAP, Loke says

PAS afraid to take on DAP, Loke says


DAP sec-gen says PAS has instead chosen to rely on its 'proxy', Barisan Nasional

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said PAS’s decision not to field candidates in constituencies contested by DAP is part of a strategy to consolidate votes for BN candidates.

PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook claims PAS is afraid of taking the party head-on at the Johor polls and has instead chosen to rely on its “proxy”, Barisan Nasional (BN).

Loke said PAS’s decision not to field candidates in constituencies contested by DAP was part of a strategy to consolidate votes for BN candidates, particularly those from MCA, Sin Chew reported.


“PAS knows that even if it fields candidates against DAP in the state election, it will not win and will only split the vote.

“That is why it has chosen this approach – to transfer its votes to BN and help MCA candidates win,” Loke was quoted as saying at a ceramah last night.


Loke also described PAS as an unprincipled party as it had urged its supporters to back BN in seats that were not contested by Perikatan Nasional (PN).

He called on Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters to cast their ballots on July 11, to ensure that the coalition retains its seats. PH won 15 of the 26 seats it contested in the last state polls.

He warned that if BN won more than 50 of the 56 seats it was eyeing in the election, it would result in one-party dominance and weaken Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s position, ultimately affecting the stability of the federal government.

He also said that if BN were to register a huge win, it would remove any need to cooperate with other political parties.

“Johor voters must come out in force to vote, to prevent Johor’s political landscape from becoming overwhelmingly dominated by BN,” he said.

DAP’s former Mengkibol assemblyman Chew Chong Sin previously claimed there was a secret pact between BN and PN for the Johor election, based on the 33 candidates PN is fielding.

Johor Umno dismissed Chew’s claim, saying BN had held no talks with PN.

Earlier today, MCA president Wee Ka Siong also disputed claims that BN and PN were working together to take control of the Johor government, citing four seats in which the coalitions are contesting against each other in the state polls.

Dr M gesa pengundi Melayu pilih calon Melayu tak kira parti

Dr M gesa pengundi Melayu pilih calon Melayu tak kira parti


Bekas perdana menteri berkata pilihan pengundi Melayu pada pilihan raya umum nanti akan memberi kesan besar terhadap masa depan negara

Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkata kepentingan orang Melayu akan hilang sekiranya kesetiaan orang Melayu diberikan kepada parti atau puak tertentu.

PETALING JAYA: Bekas perdana menteri Dr Mahathir Mohamad menggesa pengundi Melayu mengutamakan calon Melayu pada PRU akan datang, tanpa mengira parti politik atau pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO).

Beliau berkata pilihan pengundi Melayu pada pilihan raya itu akan memberi kesan besar terhadap masa depan negara.

“Kalau kita ingin negara ini terus kekal sebagai Tanah Melayu undilah calon Melayu tanpa kesetiaan kepada mana-mana parti atau puak NGO.


“Siapa dianya calon Melayu. Itu akan diberitahu semasa PRU,” katanya menerusi surat terbuka di Threads.

Menerusi hantarannya juga, beliau berkata kepentingan orang Melayu akan hilang sekiranya kesetiaan orang Melayu diberikan kepada parti atau puak tertentu.


“Jika kesetiaan ini diberi kepada parti atau puak akan hilanglah Tanah Melayu.

“Tanpa Tanah Melayu akan hilanglah bangsa Melayu di dunia ini. Melayu akan jadi bangsa yang tidak mempunyai negara,” katanya.

***

After all these years, he's still unforgiving for whatever slight occurred to him during his university days in Singapore. His everlasting hatred, manifested in the usual ridiculous kerbau's, will outlive him.

Heat rises on Chinese ground in Johor

Heat rises on Chinese ground in Johor

By Joceline Tan

Tuesday, 30 Jun 2026 | 5:02 PM MYT


THE war of words in Johor is near fever pitch even though the election campaign has only just officially begun.

And the temperature is hottest on the Chinese front where accusations and counter-accusations fly like arrows.


There is a do-or-die urgency on the DAP side because the party cannot afford more setbacks after the Sabah election debacle.

DAP’s two top generals, secretary-general Anthony Loke and deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming, have dominated the pages of the Chinese vernacular media day after day.

The pair understands how the media works and they are newsmakers.

But the thing is that Pakatan Harapan has very few real or strong issues to ride on.

They cannot talk about fighting corruption, which was once their most awesome bullet, or else people will ask about Tan Sri Azam Baki (recently retired MACC chief commissioner) or the corporate mafia.

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Their promise to “Selamatkan Malaysia” (save the country) electrified people back in 2018 but it has become a fairy tale with no happily-ever-after ending.

Umno used to be a prime attack target but that is not possible now that DAP leaders are sitting at the same table as Umno leaders.

As such, a lot of the campaign to woo the Chinese votes has shifted to attacking MCA.

“It has gone down to the level of character assassination and personal attacks. What kind of narrative is that?” said lawyer and former MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu, who grew up in Johor's Kluang district.

An aide to a Johor leader said Pakatan’s dilemma is that they seem unable to decide on strategy and focus.

“Do they campaign to be the next state government or to be a stronger opposition? Pakatan, being in the Federal Government, has a national narrative to sell except that it is not exactly a success story,” said the aide.

Johor’s Chinese roots lie in its numerous Chinese new villages that have fanned out to become a substantial part of the local economy.

Pakatan’s survival hinges on these areas as well as the urban Chinese who make up the Johor Baru metropolitan area. The Islamist policies of PAS scares this cohort out of their wits.

As a result, the smear campaign against MCA has since veered into allegations of a secret pact between Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional.

It is quite an effective way to scare the Chinese from supporting Barisan. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong was quite incredulous when asked about that.

“They must be joking. What secret pact are they talking about when we are fighting Perikatan in so many seats? This is a serious election, don’t turn it into a wayang (show),” he countered.

Do DAP leaders have mirrors in their homes? They are a fine one to be accusing others of working with PAS when DAP has shared the same house and bed with PAS in two general elections while the Teresa Teng song, The Moon Reflects My Heart, played in the bedroom.

According to the above aide, there was speculation that the national leadership of Umno and PAS wanted to use the Johor election as a “pilot project” for Malay unity but Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Onn Hafiz Ghazi apparently stood by his decision that Barisan would contest all 56 state seats.

DAP, it is said, is out to cripple the two “Ma” which sounds like “horse” in Chinese - Ma Hua (MCA) and Ak Ma (the Chinese pronunciation for Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh).

But Pakatan cannot be too harsh about the Mentri Besar because Onn is hard-working and his appeal cuts across race lines.

But Onn’s declaration about not sitting at the same table with DAP is still a campaign topic. The opposition has seized on his foot-in-the-mouth fiasco to imply that in not respecting DAP leaders, Onn is disrespecting the Chinese who support DAP.

The Chinese media, in an interview with Nga who is the Housing and Local Government Minister, reproduced pictures of him and the Mentri Besar sitting together like old friends.

The controversial DAP advocate Hew Kuan Yau, better known as “Superman”, has also joined the fray.

On nomination day, “Superman” appealed to the Chinese to vote for the new faces fielded by DAP in Yong Peng and Paloh.

He asked the Chinese not to support MCA incumbents Ling Tian Soon (Yong Peng) and Lee Ting Han (Paloh), saying that the pair were favourites of the Mentri Besar who would reward them with posts if they lost.

Yong Peng’s Tian Soon, known as Ah Soon to all and sundry, immediately retaliated saying: “If I lose, I will not accept any nominated posts”.

DAP is still sore about losing Yong Peng, once its stronghold, to MCA in 2022 and on Saturday night, DAP held a ceramah that came with a durian feast.

Incidentally, Lee, who is defending his seat in Paloh, is a first-class honours graduate who went on to further his studies in Cambridge University.

“I know the Chinese do not like Umno. But tell me, which party can stop the green wave? Certainly not DAP or any of the parties in Pakatan.

“You do not have to love Umno or accept their Youth leader. But the only Malay party that can stop PAS is Umno. That is the reality,” said Gan.

Pakatan’s edge over the other parties lies in Anwar who got a much-needed boost as the latest Merdeka Center survey showed him with a comfortable 52% approval rating. He will be the driving force to keep Pakatan on course in Johor.

Umno’s own top general is not well-accepted but Umno has a younger soldier, Khairy Jamaluddin, who came in second with a 50% approval rating.

Many Malaysians of all races see Khairy as a face of the future. He should be sent out to woo the young voters in Johor.