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AFTER 14 days of heavy campaigning, a total of 2.7 million voters will determine which party is given the mandate to govern Johor for the next five years.
Starting at 8 am this morning, voters in 56 State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats will cast their votes in the 16th Johor State Election (PRN), which will not only determine the composition of the state government but also shape the state's political landscape for the next term.
After the official campaign period that began on June 27 and ended at exactly 11.59 pm on Friday, all the promises, commitments and records presented over the past two weeks will be translated into ballot papers.
Throughout the campaign period, each party utilised various approaches to reach voters, including ceramah, community programs, door-to-door visits, community dialogue and the use of social media.
Although campaign approaches differ by party, the issues highlighted are almost the same, including the cost of living, job opportunities, affordable housing, economic development, public facilities, water supply and the well-being of the people.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) came up with 63 resolutions based on six main thrusts covering governance, economic development, social safety net, basic amenities, security, cleanliness, environmental sustainability and youth development.
Pakatan Harapan (PH), on the other hand, offers a development agenda that focuses on job creation, affordable housing, improving workforce skills, education, health, entrepreneurship and efforts to make Johor an economic hub that takes advantage of its location on the Singapore border.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) highlighted the narrative of administrative integrity, people's welfare and strengthening the state's economy, while PAS, which is contesting under the coalition, chooses to present candidate pledges according to local needs.
Apart from the manifestos, the campaign was also marked by various polemics, including statements on political relations between parties, issues involving DAP, the ‘Bangsa Johor’ narrative and controversy involving a candidate’s statement on pig farming.
However, the most consistent issues raised by voters still revolved around the challenges of daily life, such as the cost of living, job opportunities, house prices, congestion at the Johor-Singapore border and efforts to attract more investment to the state.
Now that the campaign period has ended, all focus has shifted to the people of Johor to determine whether the existing government should be given a new mandate to continue its administration or whether the state needs a different approach under a different coalition.
Whatever the results are announced later, they are a reflection of the people's wishes that must be respected by all parties.
For parties that have failed to form a government, the role of a constructive opposition remains important to ensure that checks and balances continue to operate in the interests of the state and the people. – July 11, 2026
