BAGAN DATUK, Feb 2 — Barisan Nasional (BN) will not use in toto the mould it had applied in the Melaka election for the upcoming Johor polls, its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
This includes the formula for selection of its candidates, he added.
“In Melaka, 87 per cent of our candidates were new faces, 84 percent had high qualifications while those aged below 50 constituted over 82 per cent… however, this same mould will not be applied in Johor as the political landscape is different there,” he said.
The Bagan Datuk MP was speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting with trustees and heirs of Hutan Melintang land lots at Kompleks Umno here today.
Ahmad Zahid, who is UMNO president, said BN will contest all 56 seats up for grabs and will field winnable candidates who are well-liked and approachable.
“As for Umno candidates, I have asked Johor UMNO chief (Datuk Ir Hasni Mohammad) to have discussions with all the division chiefs to come out with names,” he said.
On seat allocations, Ahmad Zahid said UMNO, MCA and MIC have guidelines on how to approach the matter, but added that seats contested by Gerakan in the 14th general election will be taken over by BN.
On Jan 22, Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar consented to the dissolution of the Johor Legislative Assembly to pave the way for the state election.
The previous government led by BN had 28 state seats with Umno holding 14 seats, MIC (two), Bersatu (11), and PAS (one) while Pakatan Harapan held 27 seats, DAP (14), PKR (seven), and Amanah (six).
