BATU PAHAT, July 1 (Bernama) -- Pakatan Harapan's (PH) participation in the Johor state election is aimed at offering a more sustainable development agenda, rather than disrupting the state's existing harmony, said PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said Johor is a state with immense potential, but its administration needs to be improved to ensure development is not concentrated in only certain districts.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor Menteri Besar, said development in Johor is currently uneven, with economic activity largely centred on Johor Bahru district, creating gaps with other districts.
"Johor is more than just Johor Bahru. There are the northern, eastern and western parts of the state. The income gap, for example, between Johor Bahru and Segamat is quite significant. That is why we are here—to bring change and govern Johor well," he said when speaking at the Jelajah Ke Depan Undi Harapan programme in Pekan Senggarang here tonight.
Also present was Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof.
Elaborating, Amirudin, who is also PKR election director, said Johor recorded RM101 billion in investments last year, but the number of new jobs created remained relatively low compared with Selangor.
"Selangor attracted RM83 billion in investments last year, but we created 60,000 new jobs. In Johor, the figure was lower, perhaps fewer than 30,000 or 40,000 jobs," he said.
He said that if PH is given the mandate to govern the state, the coalition will ensure that high-impact investments are aligned with federal government support through initiatives such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
"This is important to create high-paying jobs so that our young people will no longer have to commute to Singapore every day to earn a living," he said.
He added that a PH-led state government would adopt an open leadership approach to ensure Johor emerges as the "Jewel of the South", a source of pride for both Malaysia and its people.
PH is contesting all 56 seats in the Johor state election, polling for which is on July 11 and early voting on July 7.
For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/.
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