Johor: The federal government does not practice political discrimination or marginalize any state in the distribution of allocations and investments, ensuring that development benefits are fairly distributed among all citizens, according to senior political advisor to the Prime Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), highlighted that this commitment was evident when Johor recorded a high market investment of RM110 billion last year. This indicates the government's focus on economic potential and development needs rather than the political alignment of a state. He stated that when MIDA seeks investments from international hubs like Tokyo, Osaka, China, or Seoul, the aim is to benefit all Malaysians, without bias towards states under specific political administrations.

Tengku Zafrul addressed concerns regarding the perception that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, also the chairman of Pakatan Harapan (PH), is concentrating on the northern part of Johor for political campaigning purposes during the state election. He clarified that the federal government's frequent visits to northern Johor are to bridge the development gap, as this region had previously received less attention.

He emphasized that the Prime Minister's focus is on all regions of Johor, not just the north, recognizing the need for balanced development across the state. The visits to northern Johor signal a commitment to ensuring development at every level and in every area.

Tengku Zafrul dismissed claims that the federal government is marginalizing the state administration as political rhetoric intended to create a negative perception. He attributed Johor's current economic success to the strong cooperation between the federal government and the state.