Johor bahru: With less than 48 hours remaining before campaigning ends at midnight tomorrow, candidates contesting the 16th Johor state election have entered the final sprint to win over voters ahead of polling day on Saturday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, despite reaching the 13th day of campaigning, candidates from various political parties have shown no signs of slowing down, ramping up efforts through large-scale ceramahs, grassroots engagements, and door-to-door visits to secure last-minute support.
The presence of national leaders has also injected fresh momentum into campaign operations. Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to campaign at three strategic locations tonight, including the closely watched Puteri Wangsa state constituency. PH candidate for Puteri Wangsa, Maszlee Malik, urged voters via Instagram to attend the coalition's "Grand Finale Harapan Johor Selatan" rally, emphasizing the importance of their presence.
Meanwhile, PH's Paloh candidate, Dr A. Ruban, has returned to the campaign trail after taking a short break for medical treatment, reaffirming his commitment to the electoral battle. Johor PKR chairperson Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa also joined the campaign for Kemelah candidate Mohd Afif Abd Hamid by leading the Felda Redong Motorised Convoy involving 120 motorcyclists.
On the Barisan Nasional (BN) front, coalition chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made a final campaign push by visiting the Endau and Kempas state constituencies to boost the morale of candidates and party workers. Johor Menteri Besar and BN candidate for Machap, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, continued his outreach across the constituency, urging Johoreans on Instagram to support BN.
BN candidate Mohd Hairi Mad Shah in Larkin carried on with his "Ziarah Kasih" programme, meeting residents personally to gather support for the coalition's development plans. Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional (PN) is holding a mega rally in Endau tonight featuring its chairman, Datuk Seri Ir Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, in support of Endau candidate Hasnul Hakimi Hussien.
PN's Kahang candidate, Mazlan Bujang, remains active in voter engagement, stating his intention to continue meeting with voters until the end of the campaign period. Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) has also intensified its campaign through its "Bersama Tour Truck" initiative, with Kota Iskandar candidate Sahrudin Omar and Larkin candidate Norsinah Abu engaging voters through small-group community dialogues.
A total of 172 candidates are contesting 56 state seats in the Johor election, with polling scheduled for Saturday.