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Johor state elections a risky move
For Umno leaders seeking to boost their party's momentum after its Melaka victory, the Johor polls might not be the wisest of moves.
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Francis E. Hutchinson
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Malaysians are used to elections being regular affairs with national and most state polls held simultaneously. However, following Barisan Nasional's 2018 defeat, this norm - along with so many others - no longer seems to hold. Over the past months, state elections were held in Sabah, Melaka and, most recently, Sarawak.
Johor will be next. The state assembly was dissolved on Jan 22, meaning that an election must be held within the next 60 days. The official reason is that - following the death of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) leader and former Johor menteri besar Osman Sapian - the state's governing coalition has the slimmest of majorities.
