Due to our close proximity to Malaysia, it’s not surprising to hear occasional mentions of Singapore by politicians across the Causeway.
While some comments are positive, others can be a tad controversial.
On Thursday (10 Mar), Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) Chief Hasni Mohammad boldly claimed that Singapore would be more developed if it was under the governance of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Hasni’s comments have since circulated widely on social media, with many Singaporeans rejecting the claim. Some even went as far as calling it an early April Fools’ joke.
On Thursday (10 Mar), Johor BN Chief Hasni Mohammad said at a press conference that Singapore would be more developed if it was ruled by UMNO.
The claim was in response to Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) vice president Mohd Amar Abdullah’s comments a day before.
Mohd Amar had suggested that Singapore was more developed than Malaysia as there was no UMNO in the country.
Doubling down on this statement, the BN leader said UMNO can be as strong as the People’s Action Party (PAP) if it was in Singapore, reported Malaysiakini.
In response to a Malaysiakini article reporting the claims, a number of Redditors called Hasni out for being delusional.
Another user pointed out that it might be slightly too early to crack an April Fools’ Joke.
One Malaysian Redditor sought everyone’s understanding, claiming their politicians had been ‘spewing’ more than usual of late.
According to Yahoo! News, the subject of Malaysians working in Singapore has also been hotly debated leading up to the Johor State Elections.
In relation to the topic, Hasni claimed that Malaysians who travelled daily to Singapore for work weren’t just from Johor, but also from the states of Kedah and Kelantan — both governed by PAS.
While not explicitly stated, this likely suggested that employment opportunities were scarce in the states, so much so that residents had to seek work overseas.
The 15th Johor State Elections will take place on Saturday (12 Mar) and will see 239 candidates contesting 56 seats.
While most Singaporeans might not agree with Hasni’s comments, it’s clear that many at least had their fair share of laughter.
On another note, we hope Johorians will vote wisely and elect politicians who will further advance Johor’s interest and have the people’s needs at heart.
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Featured image adapted from KiniTV on YouTube.
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