MUAR: The Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional election machinery must work together to ensure Johor remains as the fixed deposit of the two coalitions, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Barisan chairman said this was particularly important in the Simpang Jeram state seat where PAS has a strong base.
"We need to avoid the ‘flood’ that is PAS from entering Johor.
"Enough with just one PAS assemblyman in Maharani, we do not need another one in Simpang Jeram," he said in his speech in a meeting with the election machinery from the two coalitions at the Bakri Umno division office here.
"A victory in Simpang Jeram is important for PAS as they want to make this their second base.
"They will come out with all kinds of tactics to make it happen as they did in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.
"We must arrange our strategy well to face them and not expose it to anyone," added Ahmad Zahid.
The Simpang Jeram state seat was set to see a three-cornered fight between PAS' Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya, Parti Amanah Negara’s Nazri Abdul Rahman and Independent candidate S. Jeganathan.
In the Johor state election last year, the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub won the seat with a 2,399 majority in a four-cornered fight against Zarul Salleh (PAS), Datuk Lokman Md Don (Umno) and Mahaizal Mahmor (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air).
