Gelang Patah Lim Kit Siang's Johor Attack

 

view:
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/84656
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/84614

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/3/18/nation/12063665&utm_source=also_see&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=GE13%3A%20Opposition%20hits%20snag%20in%20Johor

The responses of Chinese voters in Johor have given the DAP confidence that the tsunami this time would start from southern peninsula and spread its impacts to the northern part, but Johor Malay voters still tend to support the BN.

As can be seen where the chinese area filled with  Pakatan flags, especially DAP, where the Malay area or low cost housing area the Pakatan flags seems lack of or did not appear.

Unless the heavyweight of DAP and Keadilan from Selangor leave their present location and move South, where their present position assign to their assistant, the newcomer and present Johor team appeared not up to task, unless the electorate wanted change, just as in 308 political tsunami , where the candidates are immaterial.  The calibre of the opposition candidates may be good academic wise, but still lack of experience, they may only be good in defending their stronghold, but mau not be offensive enough not break fortress..

PAS, DAP and PKR, they are eyeing at least 12 strategic parliamentary and state seats, including five within Iskandar Malaysia Gelang Patah, Pulai, Pasir Gudang, Johor Baru and Tebrau. these seats have the most number of voters with Gelang Patah having 104,972 voters, Pulai (99,542), Pasir Gudang (98,798), Johor Baru (96,520) and Tebrau (88,447).

Other seats they are targeting are Kulai, Bakri, Kluang, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Pengerang.

 in 2008   Pakatan Rakyat parties   only managed to win Bakri by a small majority of 722 .

Johor DAP may replace at least two of its four state assemblymen, including Gwee Tiong Hiang (Bentayan) and Ong Kow Meng (Senai).

Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching moving to Johor.

Lim, who is from Batu Pahat, will be among the leaders returning to spearhead the Opposition's charge in the northern part of the state while Teo is said to have bought property in Johor.

Fong, on the other hand, may want to be with her husband, Johor DAP secretary Tan Chen Choon, who is tipped to contest the Bentayan state seat.

Besides heavyweights from DAP and PAS, at least two other senior politicians in PKR including its national leaders are also expected to contest in Johor.

Barisan is expected to field at least 30% new faces for the 26 parliamentary seats in the state, dropping those who have been in service for too long and inactive MPs. A few may also be moved to stand in state seats.

Among the 26 MPs in the state, at least six have served more than five terms.

Among those expected to be replaced are Kulai MP Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, Teng Boon Soon (Tebrau), Datuk Mohamad Aziz (Sri Gading), Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi (Batu Pahat), Datuk Noraini Ahmad (Parit Sulong),Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (Kota Tinggi) and Tan Ah Eng (Gelang Patah).

Among those who are likely to be dropped are Datuk Osman Jais (Buloh Kasap), Datuk Ariss Samsuddin (Semerah), Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil(Sri Medan), Datuk Tahir Taat (Bukit Serampang), Datuk Abdullah Md Ali(Bukit Naning), Hamimah Mansor (Penawar), Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman(Endau), Dr Robiah Kosai (Sg Balang), Datuk Abdul Hamid Abd Rahman(Machap), Datuk Osman Sapian (Kempas), Datuk Harun Abdullah(Tanjung Surat), T. Murukasvary (Tenggaroh), Datuk M.M. Samy(Permas), Datuk Koh Chee Chai (Penggaram), Datuk Ng See Tiong(Parit Yaani) and Tan Kok Hong (Bekok).

Johor is seen as a bastion for Barisan's component parties as Umno controls 32 state and 16 parliamentary seats, MCA (12 state and seven Parliament), MIC (four state and one Parliament) and Gerakan (two state and one Parliament).

In 2008, Umno lost two state seats, MCA (three state seats and one Parliament) and Gerakan (one state seat).

DAP has four state seats (Senai, Skudai, Bentayan, Mengkibol) and one parliamentary seat (Bakri) while PAS holds the state seats of Maharani and Sg Abong.

Other hot seats will be the Bakri parliamentary constituency which DAP won in 2008 with a slim majority of 722 votes.

State seats to watch are Maharani, won by PAS' Dr Mohammad Taslimby 158 votes, and Tangkak, won by MCA's Goh Tee Tee by 295 votes.

Another hot seat is Penggaram, which was won by Datuk Koh Chee Chai from MCA by 575 votes.

The Stulang state seat will also be interesting to watch as it is Johor's only seat that had seen a three-cornered fight since the 2004 election between Barisan, DAP and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).

The campaign is expected to be intense especially in nine parliamentary and 17 state seats with non-Malay majorities.

Pakatan is aware that they will never be able to wrest control of Johor, but is confident of making its presence felt by fielding several of its high-profile leaders in the state, including PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayob.

Salahuddin, who is eyeing the Pulai parliamentary seat, is also expected to be fielded in the Nusajaya state seat.