Johor Voting Starts On A Calm Note, Onn Hafiz And Liew Chin Tong Among Early Bird Voters

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Voting for the 16th Johor state election kicked off at 8:00 AM today, with several political figures arriving at the polling stations right as the doors opened to cast their ballots and set the tone for the day.

With 172 candidates vying for 56 state seats, the morning saw smooth procedures and significant media attention.

Caretaker Menteri Besar and Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was among the earliest to vote, arriving at Sekolah Kebangsaan Simpang Renggam at 8:06 AM.

Clad in a white baju Melayu, Onn Hafiz spent time greeting local voters and election officials before casting his ballot.

Onn Hafiz is looking to secure a second term as the Machap assemblyman, where he faces Pakatan Harapan’s Nor Hafiz Roslan in a high-stakes straight fight.

The stakes are high for the BN chief, who previously won the seat in a four-cornered 2022 battle with a 6,543-vote majority, after originally serving as the Layang-Layang assemblyman back in 2018.

Over at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Taman Rinting 1, UMNO Vice-President and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin arrived at 8:02 AM to cast his vote.

When reporters asked the Kota Tinggi MP for a hint on his vote, Khaled quipped, “If I choose anyone other than Barisan Nasional, I will certainly face disciplinary action.”

Khaled – who noted that nearly 18 of his family members are voting across the Permas constituency today – emphasized the need for political stability.

He urged all parties to respect the democratic outcome, adding that whoever forms the next administration has “no time to waste” in driving Johor’s development and ensuring public well-being.

Fresh off her decision not to defend her Puteri Wangsa state seat, Muda President Amira Aisya Abd Aziz was already at the Dewan Kampung Melayu polling centre in Kampung Majidee by 8:00 AM to vote in the Larkin constituency.

Amira shared that her early vote was entirely strategic: “When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about all the Muda and progressive bloc candidates… That is why I voted a bit early today so that I can go down to the ground and support the Muda candidates.”

Muda is currently contesting four seats today, including defending Puteri Wangsa through 27-year-old Rashifah Aljunied.

The Larkin seat where Amira voted is shaping up to be a fierce three-cornered battle between BN incumbent Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, PH’s Suhaizan Kaiat, and Norsinah Abu from the newly debuted Parti Bersama Malaysia.

Also hitting the polling station early was Deputy Finance Minister, DAP National Strategic Director and Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong.

As the former state assemblyman for Perling, Liew opted not to seek re-election for his state seat in this cycle, saying, “I want to make way for new talent within DAP who can contribute effectively at the state level”.

Voting is actively underway across Johor and will officially close at 6:00 PM today. Stay tuned for further updates.

According to the Election Commission, voter turnout as at 9AM was 7.97% of the total 2,682,642 eligible voters. This is slightly higher than the 9AM turnout recorded in the last state election which was 6.35%.

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Johor Voting Starts On A Calm Note, Onn Hafiz And Liew Chin Tong Among Early Bird Voters
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