Kuala lumpur: UMNO has yet to make any decision regarding the form of cooperation or seat allocation for the upcoming Johor state election, according to state UMNO deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan. He confirmed that no official negotiations have been conducted at either the state or central level concerning the matter.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Ahmad Maslan revealed that "Johor has not made any decision on how we will contest the state polls." In the previous state election, the results were as follows: Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured 12 out of 56 seats, Barisan Nasional captured 40, Perikatan Nasional obtained three, and MUDA won one seat.

Recently, PKR and Amanah announced their plans to contest 28 and 20 seats, respectively, in the upcoming election. Johor PH has also set up four committees, including Johor MADANI, to prepare for the next state and general elections.

Dr Ahmad Maslan stated that while parties can express their intentions regarding the number of seats they wish to contest, the final decision will be made after official negotiations between party leaderships. He noted that UMNO should aim to defend the 40 seats it won in the 2022 Johor state election, though he clarified that this view does not represent the party's official stance.

Additionally, Dr Ahmad Maslan voiced support for holding state elections simultaneously in several states, such as Johor, Melaka, and Sarawak, as a cost-saving measure and to avoid prolonged politicking.