SNAPSHOT | Everyone has right to form party - Anwar; Harapan Johor polls seat talks concluded

KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 11am, 2pm, and 6pm.

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Elections

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last night that everyone has the right to form parties as platforms for political struggle.

  Speaking in Batu Pahat at the launch of the Johor Pakatan Harapan election machinery, Bernama quoted Anwar, who is also Harapan chairperson, as saying: “Testing (support) is best done during elections.”

  “There are many parties; every week there is a new party (formed), each has its own right, but I want to ask what difference and uniqueness (can they bring). This is a country full of challenges (to govern),” he said.

  The PKR president also said that people should evaluate and choose a government that serves them, rather than one that engages in abuse of power or racial politics.

  

  Ahead of the impending elections, former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has been the first to launch his Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), while former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin is still reportedly in discussions to take over a dormant party.

• Anwar has advised Harapan components not to clash with BN in the Johor polls, as the two coalitions are partners in the federal coalition government.

  The prime minister reportedly said the decision by Harapan and BN in Johor to compete against each other in the election “created a headache for us” in Putrajaya.

  

  “While we clash with Umno and BN today, we will be sitting next to each other at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday,” he said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today, in Batu Pahat last night.

  Anwar also said that going up against BN was not his choice, as he would have preferred to contest the polls alongside their government partners.

  “It was their (BN) choice to call for an election. It was their choice to create political instability,” he said, adding that he would have preferred to defer state elections and focus on reviving the economy.

Seat negotiations

• Seat negotiations among Harapan component parties for the 16th Johor state election were finalised last night.

  Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was also yesterday appointed PKR vice-president, said negotiations concluded just ahead of the Johor Harapan election machinery launch in Batu Pahat.

  

  Saifuddin said several final details regarding seat allocations would be handed over to the Johor Harapan leadership led by Johor Amanah chief Aminolhuda Hassan.

  In the 2022 state election, Harapan, excluding its then informal ally Muda, contested in 50 out of 56 Johor state seats - PKR (20), Amanah (16), and DAP (14).

  In terms of results, DAP was Harapan’s strongest performer, winning 10 of its 14 seats, while PKR and Amanah won one seat each.

• Gua Musang PAS Youth has called for the Gua Musang parliamentary seat to be returned to a PAS candidate in the 16th general election.

  Its chief Amiruddin Ismail said the demand was made out of disappointment over Bersatu’s Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim switching support to Harapan.

  

  Berita Harian reported Amiruddin as saying that a motion calling for the Gua Musang parliamentary seat to be returned to a PAS candidate was approved during the wing's 41st annual general meeting on May 21.

  “Returning the Gua Musang parliamentary seat to PAS is seen as an important step to restore the spirit of the party machinery and strengthen supporters’ confidence,” he said.

  In GE15, Azizi toppled Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who held the seat for 11 terms.

Entertainment

• After three decades in the music industry, Indonesian rock powerhouse Dewa 19 drew thousands of “Baladewa” and “Baladewi” as their fans are known to the “Dewa 19 - Cintaku Tertinggal di Malaysia” concert at Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil, last night.

  The concert, organised by Icon Entertainment, ran for more than three hours and saw fans rekindling memories associated with the band’s extensive catalogue of hits.

  

  The evening opened with an energetic set by fellow Indonesian rock band Padi Reborn, who performed popular tracks including “Menanti Sebuah Jawaban”, “Patah”, and “Hitam”.

  Performing 24 songs, including fan favourites “Dewi”, “Sedang Ingin Bercinta”, “Risalah Hati”, and “Roman Picisan”, Dewa 19 featured band founder and Indonesian legislator Ahmad Dhani alongside Virzha, Marcello Tahitoe (Ello), Ari Lasso, and guest star Javier Parisi.

World Cup

• Workers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, US, have overwhelmingly backed a potential strike ahead of the Fifa World Cup, raising the prospect of labour disruptions at one of the tournament’s key American venues.

  Bernama, citing foreign news agencies, reported that about 2,000 hospitality workers represented by Unite Here Local 11 voted 96 percent in favour of authorising a strike.

  

  While the vote does not guarantee industrial action, it allows union leaders to call a walkout if ongoing contract negotiations fail before the stadium’s first World Cup match on June 12.

  The union is reportedly seeking higher wages to match Los Angeles’ cost of living, premium pay for major events, and protections against subcontracting and automation.

  Workers have also voiced concerns over immigration enforcement and the personal information required for Fifa accreditation after Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said federal authorities would be present at matches to assist with security.

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