CIQ COUNTERS AT BSI, KSAB TO OPERATE AT OPTIMAL LEVELS FOR MAHKOTA BY-ELECTION VOTERS

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- The immigration counters at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) will operate at optimal levels starting Friday to facilitate voters from Singapore returning to cast their ballots in the Mahkota state by-election.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that this has been communicated to the Immigration Department and urging all voters from the constituency in Singapore to return and fulfil their responsibilities this Saturday.

"The state government, with assistance from the federal government, has made significant efforts to ease the return of Johoreans working in Singapore. I urge you to come back briefly (to vote) to demonstrate our solidarity with these efforts," he told reporters.

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Previously, Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi acknowledged that one of the challenges in this by-election is ensuring that voters from outside to return, noting that 50 per cent of the 66,318 voters of the constituency reside outside it, including in Singapore.

Meanwhile, commenting on a statement by an opposition leader regarding the establishment of a Unity Government in Johor during the campaign, Onn Hafiz described the act as irresponsible and aimed at undermining the stability and harmony of the state.

"In Johor, we work well with our counterparts from the opposition. Johor is the only state with an opposition presence.

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"These opposition leaders are seasonal; they come to stir up conflict and then return to their own constituencies after the by-election, leaving us (the state government) to continue serving the people," he said.

In this regard, Onn Hafiz, who is also the director of the by-election, urged the people of Johor, especially voters in the Mahkota constituency, not to be swayed by issues raised by the opposition.

He believes that national issues, including disputes between politicians, should not be dragged into the Mahkota by-election.

These matters have also been addressed by Ahmad Zahid, who reminded that the campaign should follow the 'Johor Way' to ensure the harmony of the state’s community is maintained.

"As Johoreans, we always prioritise unity. National-level issues should remain there. We have a clear vision and direction for developing the state, including the Mahkota constituency and the Kluang district," he added.

The Mahkota by-election is a straight fight between BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah and Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Mohamad Haizan Jaafar.

The by-election was called following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, from BN, on Aug 2.

-- BERNAMA