KLUANG: Johor is set to overtake Selangor in terms of development in the next five years, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said the development in Iskandar and Pengerang were the biggest contributors to the state's development.

Tourism in the state was also improving quickly, and expected to surpass that of Malacca, he said.

Dr Chua said about 50% of tourists to Malaysia passed through Johor, which was a gateway to the country.

There were major tourist projects in the pipeline as well as completed ones like Legoland to fast-track tourism development in the state, he added.

Dr Chua, however, cautioned that the positive development would come to a stop if Pakatan Rakyat's dream to make Johor its front line state came true.

“I hope the people, especially those in Johor, have realised by now how PAS-led Kelantan and Kedah have been lagging in development; from investment, new jobs to tourism.

”PAS, being the dominant party in Pakatan, is not keen on economic development, but more on imposing its religious values on non-Muslims ,” he said after opening the 64th MCA anniversary celebration here Sunday.

Dr Chua urged the Chinese voters in particular not to fall prey to DAP's gimmicks.

“The DAP boasts of sending its national figures to wrest seats in Johor.

“If they were to win, they will leave the voters, and at best, will only have an assistant to represent them,” Dr Chua said.

He noted that Malaysia was still a developing country, and elected representatives had to always be on the ground to help the people.

• Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world
• Chinese premier criticizes EU move on trade measures
• Justice Department opposes AMR's $20 million severance for CEO Horton
• News Corp to take charge of up to $1.4 billion this quarter
• Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors look for signs in the rally's break
• Unhappy with how your fave series is faring? Amazon gives you a say
• Visa, Mastercard ask U.S. court to declare card fees are lawful
• Wall Street posts first weekly loss since mid-April on Fed angst
• IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
• Politics of development pays dividend
• A thematic play seen
• Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough
• A yen for the unloved dollar standard
• Bitten by the music bug

• French soldier stabbed on patrol in Paris
• Thousands run final mile of Boston Marathon as memorial
• Trio arrested over London soldier murder

• Pandelela-Mun Yee and Yan Yee-Jun Hoong bag bronze medals in Mexico
• World No. 1 Nicol sinks Waters to reach British Open final
• China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
• Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
• Macdonald and Marques share the lead
• McIlroy among big names who miss the cut as Molinari leads
• Kuchar leads in weather-hit second round
• Two tied at the top as rain stops play in the Bahamas
• Nico Rosberg revels in the rain as Mercedes stamp their mark
• Whitmarsh: McLaren’s hopes were too high this season
• Affendi brushes off hand injury to win CP130 race in Terengganu
• Hafizh needs to step up a gear after coming in fifth
• Vignesa right on track to retain GT Open title
• Dragons’ Melton confident of getting the better of Pringle in Game 2
• Indiana bounce back against Miami to level series

• Please wait.

• Too blessed to be stressed
• DAP’s Ngeh in hot water over subservient tweet
• ‘Harry Potter Wong’ casts his spell
• Rela man in coma after being rammed by biker
• It takes nearly 72 hours to get a new polycarbonate passport now
• Give birth naturally, women urged
• King launches ‘Colours of 1Malaysia’ at Dataran Merdeka
• Tribal violence on campus
• Punching their way to fitness
• Graduating is not the end Talking points