‘We were betrayed by our own partners. We were stabbed after only 22 months of governing’
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Johor will contest all 56 state seats in the next Johor state election, setting up a direct statewide contest with Barisan Nasional (BN) as the coalition seeks to regain control of the state.
PH Johor chairman Aminolhuda Hassan said the coalition was prepared to go head-to-head after Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi reportedly declared that BN would also field candidates in all 56 constituencies.
“Pakatan Harapan Johor will also contest all 56 seats.
“They have made their stand clear, and we will not back down,” he said during the Pakatan Harapan Convention in Johor today.
He said the coalition remained confident that it could once again defeat BN, despite the collapse of the PH administration less than two years after taking power at the federal level.
“If we could win in 2018, it is not impossible for us to defeat them again in the next election,” he said.
Aminolhuda also accused BN of avoiding an electoral redelineation exercise in Johor despite several state constituencies, particularly urban seats, having voter populations exceeding 100,000.
He claimed the state government had chosen to appoint additional assemblymen instead of addressing constituency imbalances through a fresh redelineation exercise.
“Why are they afraid to carry out redelineation?
“Because they know the urban constituencies with large voter populations are strongholds for Pakatan Harapan,” he alleged.
The PH Johor chief also revisited the coalition’s brief period in power, describing the collapse of the PH government in 2020 as a betrayal by former allies.
“We were betrayed by our own partners. We were stabbed after only 22 months of governing,” he said.
Despite PH not being part of the current Johor administration, Aminolhuda insisted that the coalition would continue its efforts to form the next state government and provide better governance for Johoreans.
He also credited the federal government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for Johor’s rapid development, citing infrastructure improvements and economic initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s growth.
Acknowledging growing public concern over the rising cost of living, Aminolhuda urged party members and supporters to remain united and continue mobilising grassroots support ahead of the election.
“What matters most is that every member must be willing to sacrifice and continue the struggle,” he said.
On Saturday, Onn Hafiz reportedly said BN would contest all seats in the upcoming Johor election, although no election date has been confirmed.
The next Johor state election must be held by April 2027, when the current state assembly term expires, although speculation has intensified that polls could be called as early as the third quarter of 2026.
