COMMENT | Among the many electoral fights in Johor is a contest over the rural areas.

There are two areas where the rural battle is most intense. The first is in the ‘Blue Belt’, which stretches from Pengerang through Kota Tinggi to Mersing. This area refers to the Umno/BN control over the east coast of Johor, where the party has won consistently when in other regions of the state - notably the ‘wild west’ and southern core - have they have experienced losses.

The second area is in the ‘rebel north’ stretching from Batu Pahat through Muar and Ledang to Segamat. The latter is the area where the president of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin is based, an area that secured Pakatan Harapan-Bersatu-linked victories in 2018.

Importantly, it is also the area where...