GE14 | Caretaker Johor menteri besar Khaled Nordin has questioned the intentions of Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in contesting the Gambir state seat.

"If he wants to be Johor menteri besar, why doesn't he say that he is contesting Gambir to become menteri besar?

"But if he announces that he wants to be menteri besar, he will be done for at federal level, he would not have a place (in cabinet)," Khaled said in a speech in Gambir today.

He said the people of Johor want to know who Pakatan Harapan's choice of menteri besar would be.

However, he said the people of Gambir should not vote for Muhyiddin in any case, claiming it is unlikely that he would be menteri besar as BN would retain control of Johor.

"He is only giving the impression that he might be menteri besar, to exploit the people of Gambir.

"But I don't think he can be menteri besar, as our latest figures show that BN will win in Johor," Khaled said.

As such, he said the people of Gambir should vote for BN, to ensure a continuation of service by the state government.

He added that Muhyiddin (photo) is likely to abandon the people of Gambir after the elections.

As for any parallels with himself, Khaled said his situation is different as the Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat and Permas state seat which he is contesting are in the same constituency.

He was speaking at the launch of four narrow bridges in Jalan Sengkang, Gambir today.

Earlier in his speech, Khaled said the completion of the bridges showed that the Johor state government was managing its coffers well, and state reserves were far higher in his time compared to during Muhyiddin's time.

At a press conference later, he declined to speculate if the Bersatu president was not named as menteri besar candidate due to any problems with the Johor palace.

Gambir is a marginal Malay majority seat that MIC's M Asohan won with a razor-thin 310 vote majority.

Muhyiddin will be contesting against Asojan and PAS ulama chief Mahfodz Mohamed.  

Meanwhile, the caretaker menteri besar also rubbished news reports that there was a lukewarm response to one of his events in Johor Jaya, saying he had arrived early.

"If you had come later many people were there... If you want the government to be fair the press should also be fair," he said.

Previously Malaysiakini reported that there was only lukewarm attendance at a Khaled event in DAP-controlled Johor Jaya on April 26.

While 1,000 people were in attendance, caterers had prepared food for 3,000 people.

DAP's Liew Chin Tong claimed this showed that Khaled had lost his "aura" and could lose both the Permas and Pasir Gudang seats.