A Judicious & Just Balance in Johor Needed. Will Harapan & Muda be it?

The upcoming Johor state by-election is generating an unseemly jostling for seats, as the UMNO-led BN seems set on recapturing the state it lost badly in 2018. Compared with the current critical, desperate and stagnant situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Johor was then a bustling and prosperous state with hundreds of thousands of Singaporean and other foreign visitors. Nearly 300,000 Malaysians domiciled in Johor also commuted to Singapore for both full-time and part-time work. Today quite a few hotels and eateries in the state have closed down and there is an eeriness about even the largest city, JB at night. Not a single car with Singapore plates!

Rentals, property prices have collapsed and there is misery even in the most unexpected places.

A combination of Muhyiddin’s lethal lockdown with UMNO’s complicity and a failure to negotiate a health/travel bubble protocol with Singapore has devastated the state. UMNO & BN which thrust Muhyiddin into the PM’s post must take the entire blame for the doldrums Johor is facing.

Explaining and exposing this ugly truth should be the main agenda of the opponents of the BN-PN group. BN and PN ruined Johor. Communication is vital.

Syed Saddiq emerges as one of the most promising principals in these upcoming elections. He is a good debater, has the gift of the gab, and he has fired the imagination of the young, restless, and unemployed as well as the older voters. He has to however hone his skills to work discreetly and effectively with all the other parties, especially Amanah, DAP, and the People’s Justice Party(PKR).

This is a do-or-die battle for justice and fair play. Successive corrupt and unimaginative BN governments depended too much on Singapore tourists and investments for Johor to coast along. When that border was closed by the BN-PN collusion, Johor suffered.

That must be rectified.

YB Syed Saddiq, we recognize your promise and have full trust in your prospects.

Please listen to your political cohorts, especially the more experienced and seasoned ones. They recognize your talents and are not trying to tame you. No, not at all. They want to be part of the same team, to set and realize the same objective. Talk to them, listen, listen and listen or accept that penyamun tongong will make an unfortunate comeback and plunge us into more distress.

Make him look at least like a penyamun tunggang in Johor. His kuda must not win with him as the pillion with his stolen billions.

Please listen and make a success of this. Everyone will be grateful if you make this small sacrifice for Malaysia.

Judge and Juggle your people to fight the convicted and unconvicted people, but get the others on your side.

We all want you to win the war not just one battle. If you set your mind to it you will achieve that great honor for yourself and the Rakyat.

We have to transcend small differences to achieve the larger goal. Trust yourself.

Good luck. May the Almighty bless you.

Remember, we are all on the same side.

February 20, 2022

M Santhananaban.