JOHOR BARU: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claims there is a shift of mood among the Chinese community in Johor which he believes will be translated into votes in the upcoming state election.
According to the Barisan Nasional (BN) adviser, he came to this conclusion based on the warm welcome he received in the past few days in this southern part of Malaysia.
Najib said the change in sentiment and acceptance towards BN candidates are in stark contrast as compared to the situation prior to the 14th General Election (GE14) where the coalition lost both the state and federal administrations.
"I can see the support by the Chinese community is increasing and getting stronger. If you take a look at the warm welcome this morning, this is not something we witnessed before GE14.
"The support can also be seen among the youths, with one of them wearing a 'Bossku' t-shirt and he is a first-time voter too.
"I don't want to be too optimistic and I don't want to talk about winning because what's important here is to focus on the work.
"We must work hard and be humble. We beg the people will make the right decision come March 12 because the reality is, we (BN) are the only ones who possess the ability and experience to lead a stable administration," he said during a media conference in Perling constituency here today.
Najib said this during a breakfast programme with MCA candidate for the Perling state seat, Tan Hiang Kee who is also MCA Pulai women chief.
Tan will be up against Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong and Gerakan vice-president Koo Shiaw Lee in the upcoming polls.
Asked if he thinks Tan has a chance of winning against Liew who was also the deputy defence minister during the Pakatan Harapan administration, Najib did not dismiss the possibility.
"If we look at the present situation, I would say don't be shocked if something surprising happens here because they (Chinese voters) have been lied to and disappointed with DAP.
"Business operators and the entire Chinese community have yet to enjoy the promises made by DAP and now that they've seen DAP's performance for 22 months, they realise that BN is a better choice for all," he said.
In the last general election, PH candidate Cheo Yee How won the Perling seat with an overwhelming majority of 19,533, defeating BN candidate Wong You Fong and Muhammad Nazrin Ihsan from Pas.
The Johor state legislative assembly was dissolved on Jan 22 after Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar gave his consent. Following that, the EC announced March 12 as the polling day.