BARISAN Nasional (BN) should pay more attention to reforming itself rather than trying to serve the people after staying in power for over 60 years in Johor.
DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng says it is time for BN to stand down and reflect on its governance style, as the past and present policies have not really benefited Johoreans, who continue to seek employment in Singapore.
In this Johor state election, the focus should be on the failure of balanced economic development, a two-tier economy and economic progress that benefits foreigners more than the local communities, said Lim.
"While no one disputes that there is economic development and progress, the question Johor’s voters must ask is this: Have you benefited from all this progress and are you confident of enjoying a better life in future?" Lim asked in a statement.
Instead, many voters informed that economic progress has priced out property rentals, consumption of food and beverage especially in southern Johor.
Properties in Tebrau and Johor Baru are no longer affordable for the average person.
"Ordinary Johoreans are unable to afford renting landed properties and consumption in these southern areas, and many establishments are patronised by outsiders or foreigners," said Lim.
In short, he said Johor’s development challenges stem from failures at both the macro and micro levels.
At the macro level, there has been no bold, inclusive, and long-term vision for the state’s development. Economic growth has been concentrated overwhelmingly in southern Johor, while many other districts have been left behind.
“As a result, the prosperity generated by the state’s development has not been shared fairly across Johor," said Lim during a campaign trail for Pakatan Harapan (PH).
At the micro level, poor economic management has made matters worse.
Ironically, in Johor Bahru, the state’s most prosperous and economically vibrant city, the rising cost of living has reached a point where many ordinary Johoreans can no longer afford to enjoy certain areas in their own city centre.
Development should improve people’s lives, not price them out of the very places they call home, said Lim.
"True progress is not measured by the number of skyscrapers we build or the amount of investment we attract.
“It is measured by whether every region has the opportunity to prosper, and whether ordinary people can genuinely enjoy the fruits of economic growth. That is the kind of development Johor deserves."
The unequal pattern of development in Johor is clearly reflected in its population distribution.
When nearly half of Johor’s population is concentrated in Greater Johor Bahru while many other districts are losing their young people, it is a clear sign that development has become unbalanced, said Lim.
Left unchecked, this trend will only widen the economic divide and accelerate population ageing across the rest of Johor, he added.
"This is the failure of the BN state government. Worse, BN does not even know they have failed or how they have failed.
“For this reason, BN does not deserve a second chance at power for their failure to ensure balanced development and oversee economic progress that benefits foreigners more than Johoreans, especially for those living outside the southern region," said Lim. - July 8, 2026.
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