Johor MB denies carnival used to attract Mahkota voters

Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the two-day carnival, organized by the state government, was open to the public, regardless of their political affiliation. (Bernama pic)

KLUANG: Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has denied that the “Jelajah Orang Mahkota” event was aimed at gaining support for Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the Mahkota by-election.

He said the two-day carnival, organized by the state government, was open to the public, regardless of their political affiliation.

Onn Hafiz said Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Haizan Jaafar and leaders from Bersatu, such as Ketereh MP Khlir Nor, attended the event.

“It was not a political event but a program for the people,” he said at the launch of an affordable housing project here.

“Whether they were from PN, BN or Pakatan Harapan, everyone was welcome to attend.

“It seems like PN has run out of issues and is using this political as fodder,” said Onn Hafiz, who is also BN’s director for the Mahkota by-election.

Yesterday, the Kluang PN Youth wing filed a police report accusing BN of bribing voters in the Mahkota constituency by holding the “Jelajah Orang Mahkota” event.

PN Youth election machinery coordinator Shazni Sulaiman said the carnival offered prizes worth thousands of ringgit, including motorcycles.

He alleged the prizes were inducements for voters in Mahkota.

Shazni said that the prizes won by the constituents were a form of corruption under the Election Offenses Act 1954 and urged the police as well as the Election Commission to act on the matter.

The by-election, to be held on Sept 28, will see PN’s Haizan take on BN’s Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah.

The by-election was called following the death of assemblyman Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2.