Amanah eyes Kota Iskandar, risking clash with Umno in next Johor polls

There could be a possible clash between two members of the ruling Madani coalition in the next Johor state election, due in June 2027, after Amanah vowed to contest in Kota Iskandar, a seat held by Umno.

In a statement today, Johor Amanah deputy chief Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the party is prepared to contest Kota Iskandar again, as it did in the 2022 state election.

"Amanah is ready to face any eventuality, including three-cornered fights if necessary, while championing the agenda of national unity, institutional reform, and sustainable development.

"This stance is made in the spirit of strengthening Pakatan Harapan and ensuring that the people of Johor continue to have the best choice in assessing parties and candidates who are competent, principled, and people-centred, rather than those driven by narrow power politics agendas," he said.

Dzulkefly, who is also Amanah's Iskandar Puteri division chief, said this was among the resolutions passed at the division's annual general meeting on July 20.

Dzulkefly had lost the Kota Iskandar seat to BN's Pandak Ahmad in a five-cornered fight in the last state polls. The majority was 4,360, with the other three candidates from PN, Pejuang and PSM.

Later that same year, the national polls resulted in a hung Parliament, leading Harapan and BN to form a joint government with other political parties.

Skudai also on its radar

Apart from Kota Iskandar, Dzulkefly said Harapan should also contest solo in another state seat under the Iskandar Puteri parliamentary constituency - Skudai.

He said this reflects Amanah’s commitment and determination to strengthen Harapan’s position in this strategic area to ensure the continuity of a progressive and inclusive administration for the people.

"Iskandar Puteri Amanah also stated that any political negotiations towards the upcoming Johor state election must take into account grassroots strength as well as the performance of candidates and parties in their respective constituencies," he added.

In the 2022 Johor state election, DAP, under the Harapan banner, retained Skudai, one of its strongholds in Johor, with a comfortable majority of 13,943 votes in a three-cornered fight against BN and Perikatan Nasional.

Umno unperturbed

In an immediate response, Umno's Iskandar Puteri division said it is not intimidated by any of Amanah’s political manoeuvres or those of their other allies in Harapan.

"Whatever form the contest takes - whether two-cornered or three-cornered - we will face it with full confidence," it said in a statement.

It added that seat allocations lie with the top leadership of the party and coalition, and are not determined by the wishes of any party at the divisional level.

It further expressed Umno’s commitment to strengthening Johor’s political stability, particularly in strategic areas such as Kota Iskandar, to ensure the continuity of development and the people’s wellbeing.

"The BN representative for Kota Iskandar, who is from Umno, will continue to voice out for the people until the end of the term, undisturbed by Amanah’s political rhetoric.

"Should Amanah choose to split votes among themselves, Umno views this as proof of Harapan’s weakness in managing internal consensus.

"The people will judge for themselves who truly safeguards their interests and who merely chases power," it added.

On May 26, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi reportedly said that the Johor state election will not be held earlier as the state government's term will only end in April 2027.

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