Incumbency principle does not apply in Johor, says state Amanah leader

The Principle of Incumbency does not apply to all 56 seats in the Johor State Legislative Assembly as Pakatan Harapan is considered as opposition in the state, a top Parti Amanah Negara leader said.

(NST) – Johor Amanah deputy chairman Dzulkefly Ahmad said this was evident as none of the PH assemblymen were included in the line-up of 11 Johor state executive councillors.

He added that since the unity government does not exist in Johor, PH or Barisan Nasional is free to contest any seats in the state.

“All 12 PH state assemblymen are referred to as ‘pengimbang’ (a group who create balance) to refine the term opposition in the Johor State Assembly.

“Moreover, all executive councillors and village or community heads are BN appointees.

“This has created significant implications in shaping the current political landscape of Johor,” he said in a statement today.

Therefore, he said, all 56 state seats in Johor do not belong to or are not the ‘rights’ of either PH or BN.

“As such, PH or BN is free to contest any seat in Johor since PH’s status is that of an opposition in the state,” he said.

The statement issued by Dzulkefly came on the heels of the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently that BN will contest for the Mahkota state seat by-election.

Zahid, who is also BN chairman and Umno president, said it has been agreed that the candidate for the by-election would be from the incumbent party.

“I don’t want statements issued by top or grassroots leaders demanding the seat to be allocated to (their) party, or any statements that could lead to a perception suggesting (that),” Zahid said.

State-level Amanah and Umno leaders have engaged in public bickering, staking their claims on which party should contest in the by-election in Mahkota after the state seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain.

Kluang Amanah chief Dr Mohd Zuhan Mohd Zain demanded that the party be allowed to contest in the by-election since the party had previously won Mahkota in the 14th General Election (GE14) and also contested in the 2022 state election.

In response, Johor Umno Youth Chief Noor Azleen Ambros described Amanah’s claims on Mahkota as greedy and opportunistic.

Noor Azleen said Amanah was insensitive and had disregarded the late Mahkota incumbent’s family members’ feelings.

It was reported that Sharifah Azizah died on Aug 2 after she was admitted to the Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang, Johor, due to internal bleeding.

In the 15th Johor state election in 2022, Sharifah Azizah won Mahkota with a majority of 5,166 votes in a four-cornered fight at the state seat.

The Election Commission on Tuesday fixed Sept 14 and Sept 28 for the nomination of candidates and polling for the Mahkota by-election.