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SHAH ALAM - Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi should take a page out of Khairy Jamaluddin’s playbook if he wants to convince voters he is ready for a political fight, according to Pakatan Harapan communications director Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
In a pointed jab at the Barisan Nasional leader, Fahmi said former Umno Youth chief Khairy appeared to be campaigning with far more intensity than Onn Hafiz himself and suggested the Johor Menteri Besar lacked the same willingness to engage opponents publicly.
"From what I can see, Khairy is campaigning harder than Onn Hafiz," Fahmi told reporters on Saturday. "Knowing Khairy, he would probably be willing to debate Maszlee Malik. It would be good if Onn Hafiz had the same capability and credibility. Maybe Khairy's spirit should be copy-pasted onto him."
The remarks amount to one of the sharpest personal attacks yet from PH during the Johor state election campaign, portraying Onn Hafiz as a leader reluctant to step into the political ring while others fight on his behalf.
Fahmi's comments come after Khairy accused PH of borrowing heavily from BN's manifesto, claiming the opposition coalition had run out of original ideas and was repackaging policies already introduced under Onn Hafiz's administration.
The war of words has intensified as polling day on July 11 draws closer.
At the centre of the dispute is PH's challenge for a public debate on Johor's future. Former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik has repeatedly called on Onn Hafiz to face him in a head-to-head showdown over the state's development record. So far, the Johor BN chief has not accepted the invitation.
PH is now using that silence as a political weapon, questioning whether the Menteri Besar is avoiding direct scrutiny while relying on Khairy's popularity and campaign skills to energise BN supporters.
Khairy, despite no longer holding a frontline role in Umno after his defeat in the 2022 general election, has emerged as one of BN's most visible campaigners in Johor, drawing crowds and dominating online conversations with his aggressive campaigning style.
Onn Hafiz, who leads BN in Johor, is seeking to defend both his Machap state seat and his position as Menteri Besar. Meanwhile, PH has fielded Maszlee in Puteri Wangsa, where he is widely seen as the coalition’s poster boy for the state election.
