JOHOR BARU: Political stability and maintaining the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration are important for Johor's development because progress stalled when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was briefly at the helm, said caretaker menteri besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad.
Hasni said Johor was a state with a lot of potential because of its strategic location due to its proximity to Singapore and Indonesia.
He said Johor had once recorded the highest amount of foreign-direct investments among all states for a five-year period until 2015.
Saying that development had "stopped temporarily" when PH took over for almost two years, he said Johor needed to move forward.
"Yes, the Covid-19 pandemic has a big impact on the state's economic development, but it did not stop the state government from planning for the future.
"Two weeks after I became menteri besar, the Movement Control Order happened.
"It did not stop me from setting up the Ibrahim Johor Economic Council and Johor Economic, Tourism and Cultural Office office in Singapore.
"We are setting up a proper barter trade port in Batu Pahat, because we can reap the benefits of trade with southern Sumatera, Batam, Bintan and Riau islands.
"Johor must be allowed to thrive economically. Iskandar Malaysia, the East Coast Economic Region and Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle involve Johor. So does the Pagoh Special Economic Zone.
"Plans are in place, and only a stable government can steer this forward," Hasni told an interview with Media Prima Bhd at its Johor election TV studio set-up at Thistle Hotel here on Saturday.
The state BN chairman said the state government needed to right what had gone wrong.
He cited the blunders committed by the PH-led state government, which impacted relations with Singapore.
"They (PH) lost their focus. Why did they need to act on a sensitive matter involving the border between two countries?
"They (PH) also criticised the Forest City development, which they claimed threatened the state's sovereignty as a lot of the buyers are from China. This is not the case.
"In London, a lot of properties and assets are owned by investors from West Asia and Arab countries, but issues of sovereignty never arose. They should stop scaring people.
"The state's constitution ensures Johor's sovereignty."
He addressed the need for a state election.
He said the need for a stable state government was akin to having a stable business entity, organisation, or club as it helped with progress.
"Stability will allow a state government to implement its visions and plans.
"In the last state legislative assembly, the government had a one-seat majority.
"In any of our sittings, our majority will be non-existent because the speaker, who is from the opposition, will have a vote. So where is the government's strength in this?
"We want to make the government strong and stable.
"The state legislative assembly is like the heart. If it does not work, then the 'body' and other parts would die," he said.
Hasni praised the coalition's candidates for the polls, the majority of whom were new faces.
He said the candidates, 70 per cent of whom were making their electoral debuts, had the calibre and attributes to become good leaders.
Eighty five per cent of the 56 candidates, he said, had good academic qualifications.
"They need to use their attributes to get to know and be close with the electorate.
"We are confident that they can endear themselves to the voters," he said at the start of two-week campaign that began on Saturday.
He said when one became a BN candidate, one would have the backing of the party and this was what made the coalition's machinery unique.
He said the combination of newcomers and seasoned leaders would be the best for Johor.
Hasni said the Melaka election had proven that voters wished to see parties field new and young candidates.