KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi today called on all political parties for the Mahkota state by-election to campaign with decorum and dignity.
He emphasised the importance of preserving the “Johor Way” in the election campaign, the New Straits Times reported.
“It’s vital to preserve the unity and respect that Johor is known for, it’s the ‘Johor Way’,” he was quoted as saying at the nomination centre at Dewan Tunku Ibrahim Ismail in Kluang, Johor.
Onn Hafiz, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) election director, warned that the parties’ actions could have a lasting impact on the people.
“In Johor, we cultivate the spirit of unity, not division. We must preserve this peace.”
He also referenced his late grandfather Tun Hussein Onn who was Malaysia’s third prime minister and known as the Father of Unity.
“Do not take this hard-earned unity for granted. It was built with the sweat and tears of our forebears. Achieving unity can take decades, but division can happen in just one day,” Onn Hafiz was quoted as saying.
He noted that previous election campaigns in Johor, such as those in Simpang Jeram and Pulai, were conducted without religious issues or incitement.
Addressing concerns about race, religion, and royalty (3R) issues in the by-election, Onn Hafiz stressed the need to avoid sensitive matters and focus on Johor’s future.
“We have succeeded in campaigning with decorum, and I hope this can continue,” he was quoted as saying.
The Mahkota state by-election was triggered by the death of Umno’s Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain on August 2.
In the 2022 state elections, Sharifah Azizah won the Johor seat for BN by a majority of 5,166 votes in a four-cornered fight.
