Maszlee: Pakatan open to all partners for Johor state government

JOHOR BAHRU, July 3 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) is ready to align with any interested party to form a state government following the Johor state election, according to Johor PKR state leadership council vice-chief Maszlee Malik.

Maszlee said that PH is open to political diversity and is willing to cooperate even with parties whose political directions diverge from its own.

“As a political party that serves the people, we are open to sitting with all parties, including those that may have different guiding principles from us.

“The essence of the matter that must be understood is the interests of the people in Johor, which must be given priority,” he told reporters after a campaign walkabout in Setia Indah late yesterday.

The PH Puteri Wangsa candidate was countering a hardline stance taken by Johor Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who recently declared that his coalition would refuse to work with PH.

Dr Sahruddin, who also serves as the Johor Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chief, stated that PN would not enter a coalition state government with PH due to a fundamental clash in beliefs. However, he noted that PN remains open to joining forces with parties that share a similar ideology.

Regarding his own campaign, Maszlee reported a positive reception from residents across various age groups and backgrounds. Now in its sixth day, the 51-year-old former education minister is streamlining his efforts to ensure every corner of Puteri Wangsa is reached.

“In the final week, we will appeal to those who work and live outside of Puteri Wangsa to return home and cast their votes,” he said.

Puteri Wangsa, located within the Johor Bahru district and the Tebrau parliamentary constituency, is a densely populated, urban mixed seat. It is widely regarded as a high-stakes battleground known for its active youth engagement and volatile, multi-cornered electoral dynamics.

Maszlee faces a crowded field in his bid for the seat, squaring off against Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Teow Chia Ling, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) candidate Nicholas Paul Vincent, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) candidate Rashifa Aljunied, and independent Wang Wee Siong.

The constituency comprises 128,723 voters, including 128,525 ordinary voters and 198 police personnel and their spouses.

Polling for the Johor state election takes place on July 11, with early voting scheduled for July 7.