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BATU PAHAT – Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has dismissed personal attacks directed at him during the state election campaign, saying he remains unfazed and is more concerned about keeping voters focused on real issues.
The caretaker Johor Menteri Besar said politics based on personal attacks does not reflect a healthy democratic culture, stressing that elections should be centred on the people’s welfare and state stability.
“If you want to attack me, go ahead. But what is important is that voters are not influenced by that approach,” he said when asked about the criticism made against him by former Rengit assemblyman Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
Onn Hafiz said this during the BN Machinery Briefing Ceremony for the Batu Pahat Division in Rengit on Tuesday, where BN candidates Boo Chin Leong (Penggaram), Mohd Yusla Ismail (Senggarang) and Mohd Zaidi Japar (Rengit) were also present.
He said Puad should take a more constructive approach, pointing to past examples of Umno leaders who were dropped from candidacy but remained committed to the party’s broader struggle.
“We previously learned from what was shared by the Umno secretary-general (Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki ) that the candidate he (Puad) wanted to promote was actually his own son.
“So various attacks were made, including against me and even more seriously, he could link it to the palace,” he said.
On electoral strategy, Onn Hafiz stressed the importance of defending Senggarang and Rengit while intensifying efforts to reclaim Penggaram, urging party machinery to work closely with voters on the ground.
“The challenge to retain the victories of Zaidi (Rengit) and Yusla (Senggarang) is not an easy one.
“Especially when we have a big ambition to win back the Penggaram seat after we lost it in the previous election,” he said.
