BN's Johor election problems

Apparently it's not really smooth sailing all the way for BN in the Johor election.

Just talked with my main source in Johor and he told me that BN may lose at least three seats which they should by right could win easily.

The seats are Rengit, Mahkota and Kemelah.

According to my source, Umno grassroots in Rengit were very unhappy with the party leadership's decision to replace long serving assemblyman Ayob Jamil by putting Puad Zarkashi there as BN candidate.

Well, I don't blame them as I also dislike Puad, who is the Batu Pahat Umno division chief.

As far as I'm concerned, Puad has always been a problem for Johor Umno as far back as the 2004 general election. I wrote about the guy before.

Rengit has always been an Umno stronghold and it would be a big blow to the party if it loses the seat, especially now that all indications pointed to most Johorean Malays are again supporting the party.

Reports suggested that Puad had won the candidacy due to his closeness with Zahid and Najib.

However, I'm more inclined to believe that the guy got the candidacy because Johor Umno chief Hasni can't stand him bugging for it. Puad did that before, causing BN to lose the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat in 2013 general election.

Hasni may also gave in because he wanted to avoid the party's machinery in Rengit from being sabotaged.

As for Mahkota, I was told that Umno's machinery there has barely moved as the result of the party's decision to exclude Kluang division chief Jais Sarday. It has instead put a Wanita candidate there.

Jais is quite an outspoken grassroots leader and had in the past bravely spoke against several decisions of the leadership, including those made by Zahid.

His people may not see the point of going all out for the Wanita candidate because of that.

In Kemelah, which is another Umno stronghold, grassroots members apparently were very unhappy over the decision to field an MIC candidate there.

Similar to what is happening in Mahkota, the party's machinery has hardly moved there despite campaigning entering its second week.

Despite such problems, my source was still confident that BN will win at least 41 of the 56 seats being contested.

Surprisingly, he now believes that MCA may win up to five of the 15 seats that the party is contesting.

The five seats are Puteri Wangsa, Pekan Nenas, Bekok, Johor Jaya and Stulang.

He said even Johor DAP chief Chin Tong is in danger in Perling.

I'm however less optimistic about MCA chances, limiting them to only winning at most three seats.

Then again, my source is on the ground while I'm just monitoring the situation from afar.

 I have decided not to go to Johor for the election because of the Covid-19 situation.

Even my mother had tested positive the other day. Probably because of all that CNY celebrations. She suffered mild symptoms and currently being quarantined at home.

Also, I don't have the budget to go down to Johor.

Yup, I'm that poor now because of Covid-19.

I mostly avoid moving around as I'm trying to save money for petrol, tolls and parking.

If I go down to Johor, I will likely have to incur more costs as I have to stay in a hotel.

I always stay at the budget Tune Hotel in JB.

Well, never mind.

I believe the economy will pick up again sooner or later and hopefully my finances will improve and I can move around more like before.

Cheers.