Johor: Speculations abound as MB swearing-in delayed

• BN had no problems securing a big win during the Johor elections, but the coalition seems to be facing some obstacles in having their nominee for menteri besar sworn in. The face of the BN’s campaign had been Hasni Mohammad.
• However, he appeared to have conceded that he was not getting a second term. He issued a statement this evening stating that he asked the party leadership to appoint a “youth leader” to “lead Johor”.
• “Seeing the support and the position of youth that are crucial in the development of the state of Johor, and for the sake of lasting prosperity of the state, I suggest for the party leadership to appoint a youth leader to lead Johor,” he said in a statement.
• “As I mentioned on the eve of BN’s victory, there is no political ideology, politician, and political party that is more important than Johor Darul Ta’zim. Now is the time for us to build a more prosperous Johor, together,” he said.
• This means Hasni will enter the history books as the second shortest-lived Johor menteri besar (330 days) after Sahruddin Jamal (320 days).
• “It is almost certain now that Hasni is not going to be the menteri besar,” said a very highly placed source in Johor.
• Sources told Malaysiakini that Hasni’s concession statement was issued following the Johor ruler’s 3pm audience with BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. A source said the audience lasted 30 minutes.
• Sources said that a “higher power” was in favour of Machap assemblyperson Onn Hafiz Ghazi to be menteri besar instead. Onn Hafiz, 43, is the grandson of Umno founder Onn Jaafar.
• He was elected as the Layang-Layang state assemblyperson in 2018, edging out his opponent by 364 votes. During the recent election, he was fielded in Machap and won handsomely. “The party wants Hasni. But ‘the higher authority’ wants Onn Hafiz,” said an Umno insider close to Zahid’s office.
• “It is also almost certain that Onn Hafiz may be the next menteri besar,” said another source, who is very highly placed in Johor’s power structure. Sources said Rengit assemblyperson Mohd Puad Zakarshi was definitely not in the running.

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