A JOHOR DAP leader has called upon Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) state chapters to continue healthy competition while maintaining viable cooperation on issues concerning Johoreans’ common livelihood as well as socio-economic, cultural and education interests.

Johor DAP state committee member Dr Boo Cheng Hau said under multi-party and competitive democratic politics, various coalitions could maintain healthy competitions within the unity government so that the democratic system itself would still progress.

“The philosophies of PH and BN are not exactly the same but after the establishment of the unity government at the federal level, both coalitions can still cooperate in the common interests of the country and the people,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Aug 8).

“Therefore, Johor can progress even steadfastly if both inter-coalition cooperation and healthy competition are maintained between PH and BN at the same time.”

Calling the political situation in Johor a “very special circumstance”, Dr Boo observed that while PH and BN are members of the unity government at the federal level, BN remains the ruling party at state level while PH functions as the check-and-balance party outside the state government.

He further said that such an arrangement is nothing new and it already had a precedent in 1970 when former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein first established a unity government.

Recall that Tun Razak recruited the opposition parties Gerakan and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia in West Malaysia, and also various ruling and opposition parties in Sabah and Sarawak to form Barisan Nasional.

However, both the ruling and opposition parties form East Malaysia had maintained a unity government together at the federal level while maintaining a healthily competitive relationship between the ruling and opposition parties in their respective states.

“Therefore, a friendly competition between the PH component party Amanah and BN’s UMNO in the Mahkota by-election is a testing ground for such a sophisticated political enigma,” he reckoned.

“In regards to how PH and BN can maintain a long-term healthy competition and yet cooperation on Johoreans’ common interests, it is worth an in-depth exploration by the PH Presidential Council and the top leaders of the unity government.”

Dr Boo was referring to UMNO’s recent criticism of Amanah for demanding the Mahkota state seat so soon after the passing of assemblyman Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain.

On Monday (Aug 5), Johor UMNO Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros noted that Amanah was not respecting Sharifah Azizah’s family, adding that the Kluang Amanah leadership’s rash and greedy attitude proved that they had no sympathy in their quest for power.

Following Sharifah Azizah’s passing, Kluang Amanah had asked to be allowed to contest the Mahkota state seat. A by-election has yet to be called as of time of writing.

Kluang Amanah chief Dr Mohd Zuhan Mohd Zain said the party won the seat in the 14th General Election and contested it in the 2022 state election.

He said Kluang UMNO expressing unwillingness to cooperate with one of the parties in Pakatan Harapan had deeply hurt the grassroots, which opened up a chance for enemies to create divides between PH and BN. - Aug 8, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/johor-ph-bn-should-maintain-healthy-progressive-competition-says-dap-leader/