JOHOR BARU, March 5 — Johor’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) will be requesting for a special state assembly sitting in order for the state’s new ruling coalition called Gabungan Baharu to show that it has the majority of support from state assemblymen.
Johor PH coordinator Aminolhuda Hassan said this was to prove that the new ruling coalition led by Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad has the simple majority to form the state government.
He said an application to hold the special state assembly sitting would be made through Johor Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat’s office in Kota Iskandar this Sunday.
“It is Datuk Hasni’s responsibility to prove that he has the support of a simple majority through the special assembly sitting,” said Aminolhuda at a press conference held at the Kota Iskandar assemblyman’s service centre in Mutiara Rini here.
Also present were representatives from Johor PH component parties from DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara.
Aminolhuda, who is also the Johor Amanah chief, also expressed his confidence that the special state assembly sitting will also show that Johor PH can get the majority of support.
He said Johor PH is not opposing the decision made by Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar to appoint Hasni, who is also the Benut assemblyman, as the state’s new mentri besar.
“Through the special state assembly sitting, we can see the level of support for the mentri besar’s and this is what we hope to achieve,” said Aminolhuda.
Aminolhuda, who is also the Parit Yaani assemblyman, also assured all parties that Johor PH’s remaining 27 state lawmakers will not be following in the footsteps of PKR’s former Pemanis assemblyman Dr Chong Fat Full in making a full turn to the other side.
“I am confident that our assemblymen will not be jumping, but some of the assemblymen from the new coalition have showed their interest in supporting us,” he said, without revealing if the support for them would come from Umno, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PAS or MIC assemblymen.
Last Friday, Hasni from Umno, took his oath of office as Johor’s 18th mentri besar before Sultan Ibrahim, amid a political impasse enveloping the state and rest of the country.
Hasni managed a simple majority support.
Johor has a total of 56 state assembly seats.