Johor polls: Maszlee pledges balanced development across all districts

JOHOR BAHRU, June 27 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Puteri Wangsa state constituency, Dr Maszlee Malik, is determined to bring balanced development across all districts in Johor if given the mandate in the upcoming polls.

He said a PH victory in Puteri Wangsa, and across the state, is crucial to usher in a new chapter of development that is not concentrated solely in southern Johor, but spread evenly so that every segment of society can enjoy a better quality of life.

“We want Johor to progress in a balanced way across all its districts, not just the southern part.

“We want everyone to benefit from better living standards, not only those in the south, not only certain groups, but all Johoreans,” he told reporters after the nomination process at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Dato’ Onn here today.

He also voiced his commitment to revitalising the state’s economy by drawing in strategic investments that will generate higher-paying jobs, a move he believes could tempt Johoreans working abroad back home to serve their own state.

“We are confident that if we succeed in attracting truly strategic investments that offer higher wages for Johor’s workers, insya-Allah, we can bring our Johoreans back home, so they can work right here,” he said.

Beyond the economic agenda, the former Education Minister outlined several key manifesto pledges, including making education a top priority, championing the welfare of nearly 100,000 persons with disabilities in the state, providing affordable housing for the youth, and establishing more community-based and workplace childcare centres to support working women.

On strategies to increase voter turnout, Maszlee said the campaign machinery will work to instil confidence among Johoreans working outside the state, including those in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, to return home and fulfil their voting duty.

“We will do our best to give assurance to those working in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to come back and vote. They are not just voting for a winning party. They are voting for their own future, the future of their children and grandchildren, and the future of Johor,” he said.

He added that Johor’s progress will be more sustainable and equitable if the state administration is aligned with the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, Maszlee also said he is open to debating any party, particularly Johor caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, to present his vision and champion the cause of all Johoreans represented by PH.

“We want to carry a vision that gives voice to every Johorean, from the smallest to the greatest, because that is the very raison d’être, or purpose, of Pakatan Harapan,” he emphasised.

The battle for Puteri Wangsa has drawn a five-cornered field, with Maszlee Malik (PH) squaring off against Rashifa Aljunied (MUDA), Teow Chia Ling (BN), Nicholas Paul Vincent (Parti Bersama Malaysia), and independent hopeful Wang Wee Siong.

The seat was previously held by MUDA’s Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, who is not defending it in this state election.

The constituency has a total of 128,723 registered voters, comprising 128,525 ordinary voters and 198 police officers and their spouses.

For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election, please visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/. — Bernama