Johor BN doesn’t consider PH an ally, says PKR leader

2026-03-18 - 04:31

Johor PKR vice-chairman Jimmy Puah said BN must be sincere when it talks about cooperation. PETALING JAYA: A Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader has rubbished claims of unseen forces attempting to drive a wedge between the coalition’s state chapter and its Barisan Nasional (BN) counterparts. Jimmy Puah said cooperation between the two coalitions in the state was non-existent, forcing them to adopt different strategies. The Johor PKR vice-chairman also claimed that the BN-led state government did not consider PH an ally, noting that none of its representatives are part of the administration. “Why was PH not invited to join the state government, in line with the spirit of the unity government at the federal level? “If the Melaka government can do it, why did Johor refuse? Even after the 2023 state elections, the Selangor government offered several positions to Selangor Umno. Why did the Johor government never do so?” he told FMT. Puah also said BN must be sincere when it talks about cooperation and not treat it as rhetoric ahead of the election. Last Saturday, Johor Umno secretary Abdul Halim Suleiman claimed that unseen forces were attempting to undermine ties between BN and PH chapters in the state by harping on the appointment of village chiefs, councillors, and roles in GLCs. He said certain PH leaders were deliberately raising the issue of the “distribution” of such posts between the two coalitions, despite the fact that there were specific processes and considerations within the state administration when it comes to such appointments. Puah said PH MPs could not approve allocations to political parties, adding however that this did not mean they did not help the people. He said that as Tebrau MP, he sets aside a sum from his allocation for the village development and security committee, where an Umno member is the village chief. “After all, the federal government continues to channel funds to Malay villages through many projects, including Sejati Madani and Kampung Angkat Madani. All these projects fall under village development and security committees headed by Umno.”