PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the matter was not a priority at this stage, as the coalition is currently focused on its election campaign.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) will announce its choice of Menteri Besar candidate for Johor only when the time is right, should the coalition win the 16th Johor state election.
PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the matter was not a priority at this stage, as the coalition is currently focused on its election campaign.
“The time will come when we announce it. For now, we are focused on our campaign,” he told a press conference today.
Saifuddin said the coalition’s immediate priority was to support all its candidates throughout the campaign period.
He also said the successful nomination of all 56 PH candidates marked a strong start to the campaign.
“All 56 Pakatan Harapan candidates successfully submitted their nomination papers. This is a good beginning because we are contesting with one goal only – to offer ourselves as the choice for Johoreans to take over the state government,” he said.
Saifuddin added that PH had also completed its election manifesto, but it remains under embargo pending final endorsement by the coalition’s top leadership on Monday.
He said he had reviewed the final draft of the manifesto, which he described as reflecting a more mature and practical approach than in previous elections, drawing on his long experience in the party alongside Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari since 1999.
According to Saifuddin, earlier PH manifestos had often been overly detailed and idealistic, but the coalition had since shifted towards more realistic and accessible policy commitments.
“Previously, our manifestos sometimes ran into hundreds of pages because we wanted to change everything. Over time, we became more practical and realistic,” he said.
Saifuddin said the upcoming manifesto would focus on economic stability and prosperity, the welfare of the rakyat, political stability, good governance, increasing state revenue, and ensuring fair wealth distribution.
He added that the manifesto would also promote a performance-based political culture while rejecting identity politics.
“That is all I can reveal for now, but I can assure you that the manifesto covers all key aspects and will be presented in a more concise and simplified format without compromising its substance or commitments,” he said.
