JOHOR BARU: Amid rumours that the state legislative assembly will be dissolved soon, Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad is expected to call for a special Press conference tomorrow.
Sources from Umno did not rule out the possibility that the press conference in regards to the dissolution of the state assembly.
“Johor Umno is expected to hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the state election, particularly on candidate nominations.
“All 26 Johor Umno division chiefs will attend the meeting and a press conference is expected after the meeting.
“At the moment, there is no an exact date the state assembly will be dissolved as claimed by a news portal yesterday, but that scenario is bound to happen, soon.
“Only the menteri besar, who is also the Umno state liaison committee chairman, will know when the state assembly will be dissolved, and it may be announced tomorrow,” the source said when contacted.
Rumour of a state election are rife following the death of Kempas assemblyman Datuk Osman Sapian last month, leaving the Umno-led state government with only a one-seat majority in the Johor state assembly.
Currently, Barisan Nasional (BN) has 28 seats in the state assembly, comprising Umno (14 seats), Bersatu (11), MIC (two) and Pas (one), while Pakatan Harapan has 27 seats, namely DAP (14), PKR (seven) and Amanah (six).
Sources also said that the Umno president is expected to hold a meeting with the state Umno next Tuesday regarding the election.
A news portal yesterday claimed that Hasni had sent a letter to the state assembly speaker Suhaizan Kaiat for the dissolution of the state assembly.
The report which cited Umno sources also claimed that the state assembly will be dissolved on Sunday as had obtained consent from Istana Johor.
Yesterday, while giving his speech at a ceremony in Iskandar Puteri, Hasni was quoted as giving hints of a possible state election.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Suhaizan had denied receiving any letter to dissolve the state assembly.
“No, the information by the portal is not true,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Source: New Straits Times
