MP SPEAKS | The campaign in the Johor state elections officially kicked off last Saturday, Feb 27, 2022, and it will end on polling day next Saturday, March 12, 2022.

What is at stake is not just control of the Johor state government for the next five years but more importantly, the trajectory of the political landscape of the entire country moving forward. These are five issues that will shape the election campaign in Johor and their implications for the rest of the country.

(i) Contest of ideas, action plans by all parties, coalitions

BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have released their respective manifestos for the Johor elections. Pakatan Harapan will soon release our "new deal" and action plans for Johor.

While policy issues and discussions are still not getting the media and public attention they deserve, there is now much more scrutiny over the political and policy promises each coalition is offering to the voters.

After the 2008 general elections (GE) and especially after the 2018 GE, any coalition has realistic chances of forming the next government, especially in a state that is as developed and diverse as the state of Johor.

Beyond the "normal" political attacks and posturing, voters want to see what each candidate and each coalition has to offer in more substantive policy terms. Voters no longer want...