Sabah Polls: Too Early To Discuss Coalition Govt -- Johari

JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- It is still too early for Barisan Nasional (BN) to determine any political coalition cooperation if the party fails to win a simple majority in the 17th Sabah State Election, said UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

He said any decision on a coalition government will only be known after the polls on Nov 29.

“It’s still too early (to decide on coalition cooperation), (wait) until the Sabah polls are over,” he said at a press conference during his visit to the EcoCeres Plant at Tanjung Langsat Port today.

He was responding to a question on whether BN would join forces with other parties if it fails to form the Sabah state government on its own.

BN is contesting in 45 of the 73 seats up for grabs, with 81 per cent of candidates being new faces, including nearly half from the professional and youth groups..

Polling is set for Nov 29, with early voting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, when asked about the potential for BN to retain power in Johor, he said the state has been well managed under the party’s leadership.

He added that political stability and consistent policies have attracted investors, making Johor one of the country’s top contributors.

Johor, he said, has also grown rapidly with data centre development, and previously attracted RM800 million in investment from a US-based equipment supply company.

“The administration in Johor has attracted many investors to the state because they (investors) see Johor as a very stable state with consistent policies. So BN deserves support,” he said.

In the 2022 Johor State Election, BN secured a two-thirds majority, winning 40 out of the 56 seats contested.

-- BERNAMA