Tight one-on-one battles between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Johor state election will not disrupt the federal government, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said.
Azalina, who is also UMNO information chief, said Malaysia’s federal structure clearly separates state and national administrations, ensuring political competition at state level does not interfere with cooperation at the federal level.
“Federal is federal, state is state. We are a federation…there is no issue,” she said, adding that even Opposition-led states continue to work with the federal government on development and public welfare matters.
She stressed that voters should focus on candidates who can deliver effective services, rather than political sentiment, warning against choices driven by confrontation.
“Don’t burn the house to kill a mosquito,” she said, while urging support for the ‘Maju Johor’ agenda.
BN and PH are set to face off in 14 straight fights in the Johor state election.
