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JOHOR BARU – Johor PKR is revving up efforts to draw home local voters who are outstation to ensure that they will be able to vote during the state election this Saturday.
The effort is seen to be crucial as these voters contributed significantly to Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) victory during the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018 and may well be able to increase the coalition’s chances of winning the upcoming polls on Saturday.
Johor PKR chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said all preparations to bring home voters from outside the state are in the final phase.
He said efforts cover youngsters who are not able to return to vote as they are studying abroad.
“In general, we have plans to bring home as many voters residing outside of Johor but it requires the cooperation of various parties.
“The outstation-voter factor is important because it was among the determinants of our victory during GE14 which was said to have wooed voters over the fence (for PH),” he said.
He said this during a press conference at PKR’s main operations room in Larkin here today.
The event was reported by Getaran, The Vibes' Malay-language sister portal.
Syed Ibrahim said among the planned efforts is organising travelling for those in Singapore before this Saturday.
“I realise that if they want to return and vote, they need to pay a large amount of money, but they must also realise that state elections only happen once in five years.
“So there is still time for them to do so and to return to Johor. I hope they will give their commitment so that we can regain the people’s mandate as we did in the last general election,” he said.
At the same time, Syed Ibrahim also urged the Election Commission (EC) to provide clarification on the issue of the low registration rate among postal voters.
He explained that this was because only 0.04% of 200,000 voters who are eligible to carry out their responsibility by post had registered themselves through the online system provided by the EC.
Political agendas distracting focus on economic growth
On another matter, Syed Ibrahim claimed that after the fall of the PH federal government due to the Sheraton Move by Bersatu in February 2020, Johor’s economy has not been growing as expected.
He said this is evident in the people being burdened by the cost of living, job losses, and low income.
The state’s unemployment rate last year was 4.6% compared to 4.5% in 2020, surpassing the national record since 1993.
“Many youths who are highly educated are working as cashiers, part-time workers, and some are unemployed. Local workers have had their salaries cut off and many have been laid off.
“Many fell into poverty which has added to the percentage of urban poor, especially in the city of Johor Baru and its surrounding areas. Parents are also struggling to ensure that they are able to put food on the table for the continuity of their children’s lives,” he said.
Additionally, Syed Ibrahim said his party is aware of people’s declining confidence in the political system and the nation's leaders, to the point of believing that no party is truly honest and cares for their fate.
To make matters worse, he said, the giving of gifts by politicians to maintain support, imposition of the emergency, and failed approaches to deal with Covid-19, as well as the sluggish reopening of the economy have disappointed the people even more.
“This can all be avoided if the government and politicians focus on policies that are sensitive to the needs of the people and there is a political determination to set aside propaganda, in addition to narrow political and personal interests.
“PKR has always emphasised the principles of change or reform and the defence of the people, aside from immediately providing help during the peak of Covid-19 or flood disasters and others,” he said.
He explained that what is needed now is not a power struggle but better-planned policies and implementation of programmes that prioritise the people to get them out of the triple crisis of health, economy, and politics.
“For instance, why can’t efforts to open the Malaysia-Singapore border be implemented more immediately? Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that it will be opened on April 1.
“Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said that the standard operating procedures for the people of Johor who are working in Singapore to commute will be finalised soon. The best time to have this done should have been by the Johor election,” he said.
At the same time, he criticised the initiatives to attract investments in strategic industries that offer quality job opportunities for graduates.
“The win-win partnership strategy with Singapore and Indonesia through the Sijori Growth Triangle (Singapore-Johor-Riau) can increase foreign direct investment,” he said.
Syed Ibrahim stressed that had the state’s focus not been diverted by extreme political agendas, the economy of Johor and its people could have been on par with or even better than Selangor and Penang.
“On March 12, the people should choose representatives who understand the current situation and are ready to serve as well as raise the voice of the people of Johor.
“Retaining representatives from Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional means lifting the culture of corruption, treachery, and political games,” he said. – The Vibes, March 10, 2022
Additional reporting by Aiman Sadiq
