PH has ‘no choice’ but to fight BN in Johor, says Loke

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) has “no choice” but to fight Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming Johor election given BN’s confrontational stance towards DAP, says DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook.

Loke said that while PH and BN have worked professionally together in Putrajaya over the past three-and-a-half years, BN cannot expect continued federal-level cooperation with PH while simultaneously challenging the coalition at the state level.

“It is not our choice to go up against BN or to fight them in Johor. We are just left with no other choice,” he said in an interview on a podcast tonight.

“If BN is sincere in wanting to work together, then we should not be taking such a confrontational stance.

“They want federal power through cooperation with PH but, at the same time, they want to dominate the state. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” he said.

Loke’s remarks mirror those made by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim in Negeri Sembilan last month, when he said PH did not want a snap state election there but was left with “no choice” after 14 Umno assemblymen withdrew their support for menteri besar Aminuddin Harun.

Despite facing each other in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported to have said that the coalition will continue working with PH in Putrajaya until the end of the current parliamentary term.

PH and BN are both contesting all 56 seats in Johor, while Perikatan Nasional is fielding candidates in 33 seats, Bersama in 15, Muda in four, and PSM and Asli in one seat each.

There are also six independent candidates. A total of 14 seats will see straight fights between BN and PH.