JOHOR BARU, Oct 12 — Outspoken Johor Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed today claimed that DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are reviving their playbooks after raising the issue of the Election Commission‘s (EC) impartiality in the coming 15th general election (GE15).

The Johor Umno deputy chief alleged that the issues were raised because DAP and PH knew it would be difficult for them to secure votes this time.

"Actually, it is all a drama perpetuated by DAP and PH because they know how difficult it is to win big in GE15.

"They bring up the issue of fair elections before this voting period so they can readily blame the election system if they lose in GE15.

"PH wants to close the gap on their weakness and the fact that they have been rejected by the people before,” Nur Jazlan said in a statement.

He was responding to Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong’s recent statement where he urged the federal government, state and local authorities, including the EC, to practice a "neutral administration” approach and treat all parties as well as candidates fairly.

Liew had said that the EC must ensure that postal votes are made available to the people of Sabah and Sarawak who live in the peninsula.

This demand has repeatedly been made by PH and electoral reform group Bersih.

Nur Jazlan claimed that Liew wanted to be a hero even though after PH won in the 14th general election (GE14), there was no issue with the EC not being impartial.

"Was PH’s victory in the previous GE14 also due to injustice? So much so, that Chin Tong (Liew) called them to be neutral and provide equal treatment to all competing parties.

"Has the EC not been taking a neutral approach all this time?” he questioned.

Nur Jazlan said that the EC has never banned any political parties from campaigning, holding talks and canvassing for votes — as long as they follow the election rules and regulations.

He also recalled that PH had appointed two of its members to the EC since 2018, therefore Liew did not need to raise such rhetorical matters ahead of GE15.

"Chin Tong (Liew) should not forget that even as a nomad candidate, he still won in the Perling state constituency in the Johor state election this year and Parti Amanah Negara’s (Amanah) Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub won big in Pulai back in the 2018 national polls.

"Was the EC being unfair (to them)? So is their victory also debatable?” he questioned, adding that the issues brought up by Liew were cliche.

On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the 14th Parliament to pave the way for an early polls, ignoring appeals from the Opposition and lawmakers from within his own party not to hold GE15 until next year as the country prepares to face the annual monsoon floods.