JOHOR BARU, March 1 — Barisan Nasional (BN) today announced its manifesto for the Johor state election, which include creating more transit homes for eligible youths and RM500 financial assistance to students from B40 families.
Johor BN chief Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad said the coalition sees Johor youths as the most important demographic here.
“Johor BN will implement six key initiatives within five years where there is an annual financial assistance of RM500 to all students from the B40 family.
“We will also be developing more transit homes to eligible Johor youths with very affordable rental prices in strategically located areas of the state,” said Hasni.
The initiatives, which include five main thrust areas, are: economic development, people’s welfare, youth, administrative integrity and political reform implementation.
Other initiatives promised include Bank Rakyat’s RM100 million interest-free loan and various annual financial assistance through Johor Niaga to small and medium enterprises under the economic development initiative.
Hasni claimed that within five years, BN will restore the economic might of Johor which was once the highest contributor to Malaysia’s overall investment.
“Through the Johor Berdaya Saing programme, Johor BN will implement nine thrust areas that will boost the state economy, among them in the form of investment facilitation and district socio-economic development according to local potential,” he said.
Hasni also added that through the people’s welfare plan, eight thrust areas have been promised including the provision of annual financial assistance of RM150 to each primary and secondary school student from families earning RM3,001 to RM7,000.
He said the cost of childcare may be reduced with the expansion of nurseries owned by the Darul Takzim Family Development Foundation by offering affordable childcare fees to the people of Johor.
Meanwhile, Hasni also vowed equal annual allocation of RM200,000 for government and Opposition state assemblymen through BN’s political reform initiatives.
He added that if BN manages to garner two-thirds of the majority, a redelineation may happen for state constituencies with large electorate.
The EC has set March 12 as the polling date for the Johor state election and early voting on March 8.
Johor has 56 state constituencies, with more than 2.59 million voters who are eligible to cast their ballot in this state election. The EC is targeting a 70 per cent voter turnout.
