SHAH ALAM, June 18 - The Menteri Besar’s political secretary Saifuddin Shafi Muhammad has questioned Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Onn Hafiz Ghazi's continued refusal to cooperate with the DAP, while raising concerns about integrity and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
He said that the people of Johor deserve to know why a party that is part of the Unity Government continues to be targeted politically, despite the country having previously faced far more serious issues involving integrity, governance, and financial scandals.
The level of harm to the people should be assessed in terms of integrity and national interest, rather than merely on differences in political ideology.
“Which is more harmful to the people of Johor, sitting at the same table with DAP for the sake of administrative stability in the state, or working hand in hand with Jho Low in the multi-billion-ringgit scandal involving the people's money through 1MDB?” Saifuddin asked in a statement.
He was responding to Onn Hafiz's repeated remarks that he would not cooperate with DAP, including those made during the recent launch of the Johor Barisan Nasional election machinery.
On June 12, the Election Commission announced July 11 as polling day for the Johor state election, with nomination day set for June 27 and early voting on July 7.
Moreover, Saifuddin noted that Onn Hafiz had previously appeared as a prosecution witness in the 2019 High Court trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur.
During his testimony, Onn Hafiz acknowledged that his company Vital Spire received a RM240,000 cheque to finance the operations of Malaysian Digest, a portal that, at the time, aimed to provide alternative news coverage and curb the spread of fake news.
“I am puzzled as to why Onn Hafiz chooses to continue attacking DAP when he himself was once close to an episode linked to one of the country's biggest financial scandals.
“Enough with feeding the people the same political rhetoric repeatedly when what they want to see is honesty, integrity, and a leader’s willingness to openly confront his past record,” he said.
Saifuddin added that the public is now more politically mature and is no longer easily swayed by narrow political sentiments, thus urging the Johor state government to focus on broader priorities, including economic growth, employment opportunities, quality investments, and the overall well-being of the people.
“It is time for the people of Johor to be presented with a bigger agenda, such as economic growth, employment opportunities, quality investments and more comprehensive public well-being instead of being continuously fed narratives of political hostility.
“If Onn Hafiz truly wants to talk about what is harmful to the people, then the benchmark must be integrity and the national interest, not hatred towards a political party. I believe the people of Johor are mature enough to judge for themselves,” he said.
Saifuddin emphasised that the public is capable of distinguishing between political ideology and issues involving the loss of public funds and damage to the country's international reputation.
“As a closing remark, I would like to repeat my question to the Johor Menteri Besar: is it more harmful to govern together with DAP, or more harmful to choose a party that appears to agree with Jho Low, who robbed and plundered the nation’s wealth?” he concluded.
