YOURSAY | "Time for the people to decide what they want."

How straight fights virtually guarantee 7 BN wins, 3 for Harapan

Bobbyo: Looking into the crystal ball four years down the road, assuming the same situation remains. Yet, in the last four years, many changes must have taken place in Johor.

How many new people would have registered to vote? All those who were 14 years old are now eligible to vote in the coming election. What are their views concerning the situation happening around them? In what way has it benefited them?

What about those who voted for Pakatan Harapan, BN, or even Perikatan Nasional? Were they looked after or given satisfactory service over the last four years? Or are they going to change their stand at the coming election, or even switch camps?

Are these young voters still jobless, or are they working across the Causeway because they feel the economy has not benefited them in any way? Have the benefits reached the kampungs, as politicians keep talking about economic development?

Or are the people happy with what Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is dishing out through subsidies and cash assistance?

We cannot simply look at the previous results and assume everything will remain the same. Four years is a long time, and many people would have had different experiences.

The next question is whether Parti Bersama Malaysia is going to make any impact in the coming election. Maybe people want change - away from a corrupt party that ravaged the national treasury, leaving behind more than RM1 trillion in debt.

A party that is still under the influence of royalty, according to one of its own former senior leaders.

A party that made many promises but kept none. At times, it even uses royalty to fulfil its agenda or projects, such as the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) football fiasco and the pig-rearing issue.

Maybe voters would prefer to try a new concept - a party that promises people-centred politics by working together to build the nation.

A party that stops using race and religion to win support. A party that relies on the people and makes just one promise: to serve in the interests of its voters.

It is now time for the people to decide what they want. Do they want to remain slaves to the elite and politicians, or show that they are the masters of their own destiny?

Milshah: I think the November 2022 data is worthless. Too many things have changed since then. I would say the November 2022 data was an anomaly.

What remains constant, apart from that election, is that Johor has always been an Umno fortress. Even at the height of the reformasi movement in 1997, Johor remained loyal to Umno.

If Johor stood with Umno during reformasi, what hope does Harapan have now when it is again calling for reform?

I think the state election results will show that BN will win most, if not all, seats - the rise of the blue wave.

Here is the important part. Any Harapan or DAP defeat in Johor will not be due to poor federal government performance. It is simply because Johor is an Umno state - dulu, kini dan selamanya (then, now and forever).

The tragic part is that keyboard warriors will undoubtedly link any expected Harapan losses to its reform agenda and other issues. Yet they will vote for Umno, which never promised any reforms.

So be prepared for plenty of "sembang kari" (empty talk) from the keyboard warriors.

RedEagle1791: It is a foregone conclusion that BN will win the state. What is worrying is that the same group of people will return to govern once again.

The citizens have only themselves to blame if they remain unhappy with what they receive.

It seems Malaysians simply do not know how to give an alternative a chance and are content to keep ageing dinosaurs in power.

Apanama is back: While the article mentioned that PAS has instructed its members to vote for BN rather than Harapan, it does not explore the possibility of Umno members casting silent protest votes for Harapan.

This is likely to happen quietly and without much publicity.

There are issues within Johor Umno because caretaker menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi does not manage the party professionally. However, Umno is behaving as though its members have closed ranks.

GanMu: All these predictions and assumptions are based on the existing parties contesting. The entry of Bersama, a new party with an entirely different approach, may upset the expected results.

We do not know. PAS can instruct its supporters how to vote, but many may be disillusioned with the leadership and may not even turn out.

Onn wants a large majority, and that is not good news. He wants the power to act freely. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It will be interesting to see the results if DAP and Bersama win enough votes to deny BN a majority. We may even see a new menteri besar, since Onn has said he would rather resign than work with DAP.

If Bersama wins a substantial number of seats, it could provide an effective system of checks and balances on the government's performance.

The Sabah One: Vote for Bersama - the new kids on the block. If they do not take the nation to new heights and deliver fairness, then vote them out.

Kawak: Do not underestimate Bersama. They may squeeze through in some of the seats they contest.

YellowKiwi2109: The Sabah One, the problem is that Bersama will help Harapan lose by splitting the progressive vote. PAS may end up taking over, so do not talk about taking the nation to new heights. We would be going backwards.

Kawak, Bersama will lose together with Harapan because both are competing for the same group of voters. This is unfortunate for progressive-minded voters.

GanMu, Bersama will only take votes away from Harapan, helping Umno win the marginal seats.

Winning Scarecrow: Kawak, no one is underrating Bersama. They underrated themselves by contesting in only 15 seats, mainly against Harapan and BN.

PAS has already openly asked party members to vote for Umno-BN and will support Umno to rule the state again.

Will Bersama give the same pledge to support Harapan in case such support is needed when there is a hung result following the election?

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