Did the Johor Menteri Besar speak too soon when he vowed he would never, under any circumstances, sit at the same table and work with DAP?
Caretaker Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has pledged that Barisan Nasional (BN) won't form a state government with DAP if returned to power in the upcoming state election.
In fact, he insisted that he’d rather quit the state leadership position than work alongside them. He reportedly attributed this uncompromising stand to the “spirit of Johor” and “Bangsa Johor!”
However, this might be interpreted by some as a suggestion that those who vote for DAP might somehow lose their Bangsa Johor identity just because of their political preference.
But hang on a minute. Isn't this country a democracy?
Why does our Rukun Negara get shoved under the carpet whenever it comes to politics?
The Johor MB then went on to claim that BN is targeting a victory with a larger majority than in 2022. Yet, somewhat strangely, he insisted that this hardline stance wasn't driven by racial sentiments.
But what his detractors are sure to ask is: if not racial sentiments, then what exactly is the rationale?
More importantly, will these words come back to bite him and his proud party?
Conversely, all the political grandstanding could stem from the confidence that BN may already have the state sewn up—with the only risk being that, in the worst case scenario, it could lose its super-majority.
Still, the nationalist party's latest gunfire aimed at DAP—and by extension Pakatan Harapan (PH)—is guaranteed to draw fierce backlash from certain quarters while raising some serious questions.
The thing is, politicians may have short memories, but voters do not!
Historically, non-Malay voters—especially the Chinese community—tend to teach politicians a swift lesson when a red line is crossed. With this bold “decree”, has the Johor UMNO stalwart just handed DAP a few ballot boxes full of sympathy votes?
Ironically, if BN were to somehow fall short in the coming state elections and be forced to rope in PH to form the next state government, it would be very interesting indeed to see what happens.
At any rate, critics would argue that DAP has brought these woes upon themselves, prompting the question: Where were the party's principles and integrity when high-profile corruption cases morphed into DNAAs (Discharge Not Amounting to Acquittal) and NFAs (No Further Action)?
For all their undoings, has karma finally caught up with them?
On the positive side, perhaps this open snub from UMNO Johor is the rude “wake-up” call DAP desperately needed to cure its complacency.
It is also a sharp reminder that one doesn't have to bend over backwards too much to accommodate UMNO, or any other political rivals for that matter, as such concessions are rarely appreciated—let alone reciprocated.
Some disgruntled PH sympathizers may even claim that PM Anwar and DAP chief Anthony Loke have been over-generous with funding and projects for Johor and its people, with their goodwill proving to be a massive strategic blunder.
In politics, has there ever been such a thing as “goodwill” among rivals?
Meanwhile, PM Anwar has, as expected, downplayed the hostility, stressing that his Unity Government's focus remains firmly on the nation's economic recovery amid all the global uncertainties. But for how long can he paper over the cracks when the damage to his government has become increasingly structural?
The bitter truth is, with even younger UMNO leaders up in arms against DAP, maybe it's time to concede that these two ideologically opposed, generational enemies can never ever reconcile.
Furthermore, with the PH-led Unity Government looking more like a farce to many, for how long can Anwar sustain this grand political illusion when his so-called partners at the state level seem to be unabashedly waging a political civil war?
To many, UMNO appears to be finally showing its true colors. The first bomb was dropped in Negeri Sembilan, and now another one has detonated in Johor.
Where will the next major battlefield be—Melaka?
In closing, some may argue that the only logical option left for the beleaguered PM is to call for a snap general election to checkmate the "betrayers." After all, when your own allies resort to burning bridges and declaring war on you, is there any reason left to carry on with the charade?
Main information source: The Vibes and The Malay Mail.
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