The Johor state election results will not jeopardise the working relationship between cabinet ministers who represent various political parties, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
He said members of parliament who were elected to be part of the cabinet were professionals and the outcome in Johor will not result in any disunity in the cabinet.
“Even the Melaka state election last year (November) saw tough battles among the political parties that contested but the cabinet remained unaffected by the results. The battle in Johor was intense but I am confident it will not ruin the working relationship of cabinet ministers.
“The cabinet ministers are professional and there is no issue about ‘cracks’ just because they represent various political parties. Discussions involving the country’s policies are decided together in the cabinet and are usually done based on consensus,” he told reporters after launching the Keluarga Malaysia driving licence programme for the needy which includes the B40 and Orang Asli at the Bera Rakan Muda complex in Pahang on 13 March.
The Bera member of parliament expressed confidence that the Johor state election results will not affect the relationship of cabinet ministers as they were focused on policies that prioritised the people.
“I am sure ties between cabinet ministers will remain intact due to our focus on safeguarding the people,” he said.
On Saturday (12 March), Barisan Nasional (BN) secured a huge victory in the Johor state election after capturing 40 of the 56 seats contested while Perikatan Nasional (PN) which is part of the cabinet won three.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri, who is the Umno vice-president, described BN’s more than two-third majority win in Johor as beyond expectation.
“Many expected BN to win by a simple majority or maybe secure victory in 35 state seats… this was also based on the study by Wanita Umno’s Jalinan Rakyat (JR). However, winning up to 40 seats was unexpected.
“I hope there will be no further issues in Johor… the winners and losers should put aside the election results and support the state government as one big family by assisting the Menteri Besar manage the state,” he said.
On BN’s landslide victory, Ismail Sabri said voters are now able to make comparisons by choosing the political party which could serve them better.
“I believe the voters are wise and can evaluate each political party along with their offers (manifesto). In the past, they could not make comparisons as the country was under BN leadership for 61 years.
“Various political parties challenged BN by offering numerous promises but failed to fulfil them… the people can compare which (party) is better or genuine in helping the people. This has made it easier for voters to make their choice just like during the previous Melaka and Sarawak state elections,” he said.
