Johor Polls: BN's Manifesto Realistic, Emphasises Continuity In Governance - Analysts

By Hasnah Jusid and Nur Fatin Mohmad Kadenen

JOHOR BAHRU, June 29 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional's (BN) manifesto for the 16th Johor state election has its own strengths through its comprehensive approach and emphasis on continuity in governance, which could help win the confidence of voters, including fence-sitters.

Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) said the manifesto, which contains 63 pledges anchored on the Maju Johor 2030 plan, focuses on three key target groups: the B40 group, youths, including university students, and residents in urban and semi-urban areas.

Mazlan, who is also director of UTM's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, said one of the manifesto’s key strengths is that it does not start from scratch, but is instead built on policies and programmes implemented during BN’s previous term in office.

“Most of the initiatives outlined in the manifesto have already been introduced during the previous term, while the rest represent a continuation and enhancement of existing policies.

“This gives the public confidence that what is being promised is not merely an election pledge, but one backed by a proven track record of implementation and a clear direction should BN be given the mandate once again,” he told Bernama.

The manifesto, themed ‘Maju Johor, Kestabilan Dikekalkan, Kemajuan Diteruskan’, was launched last Friday and was formulated based on the coalition’s governing experience and the state government’s track record over the past four years.

Of the 63 pledges, Johor BN has highlighted 11 key initiatives that are expected to have a direct impact on the people's lives, covering welfare, housing, employment, business and education.

Mazlan said proposals such as strengthening the Bantuan Kasih Johor programme through more targeted assistance, introducing first home assistance, house moving assistance and house rental assistance, creating 200,000 high-quality job opportunities, and exempting business licence fees could have a direct impact on the targeted groups.

He said the manifesto appears realistic given Johor’s strong economic position, healthy state revenue and continued investment inflows, which would enable the state government to deliver on the pledges within the next five years.

“Voters will assess not only the promises being made, but also the previous administration’s track record. That continuity is one of the manifesto’s key strengths because the people can see what has already been implemented and what will continue,” he said.

Meanwhile, UTM’S Nationhood and Social Well-being Research Group researcher Associate Professor Dr Mohd Azhar Abd Hamid described BN’s offering as a development-oriented manifesto that builds on the coalition’s previous administrative track record as its main foundation.

He said the coalition’s primary focus is to sustain the state’s economic stability through high-value initiatives that support the Maju Johor 2030 agenda, while addressing people’s day-to-day economic concerns, such as employment opportunities and housing.

“Its main strength lies in its administrative track record and the previous term’s report card. The primary focus is clearly on the economy because that is the people’s bread-and-butter issue and the most pressing concern that needs to be addressed,” he said.

Mohd Azhar also suggested that each initiative or pledge in the manifesto should be accompanied by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to enable the public to objectively assess the government’s performance.

“We understand that a manifesto is not intended to be an exhaustive document. However, if KPIs are included, certain facts and elements should be spelt out in greater detail, including annual targets, timelines, implementing agencies, monitoring mechanisms and so on,” he said.

Polling for the Johor state election will be held on July 11, with early voting scheduled for July 7.

For the latest news on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/.

-- BERNAMA