DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has brushed aside remarks by Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, saying there is no bad blood despite their recent public exchange.
Responding to Onn Hafiz’s declaration that he would rather give up his post than sit with DAP, Loke struck a measured tone, stressing that the party does not compel cooperation.
“If he does not want to sit with me, that’s okay. DAP does not regard anyone as an enemy. We are pragmatic, not arrogant. We do not force anyone,” he said in a video posted on Facebook.
The exchange comes amid rising political tension in Johor, with Onn Hafiz reiterating his reluctance to work alongside DAP in the state administration.
But Loke also pushed back on claims that the Johor government had been sidelined from Transport Ministry programmes over the past three years, suggesting instead that some invitations — and attendances — may have been overlooked.
In a separate post, he thanked Onn Hafiz for accepting an invitation to ride the KTM Komuter Selatan service, while “refreshing” the menteri besar’s memory on past engagements.
According to Loke, Onn Hafiz had been present at several key events, including the January 2024 RTS Link ceremony witnessed by the Malaysian and Singaporean prime ministers, the June 2025 unveiling of the first RTS train in Singapore, and the August 2025 launch of the ETS3 service in Kluang officiated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that the Johor government had also participated — either directly or through representatives — in multiple ministry-linked programmes, such as the Kluang Heritage Railway Linear Park MoU signing in 2023, a working visit to the Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ complex in 2024, and the reopening of the Pasir Gudang–Kempas Baru rail line in May 2025.
At the same time, Loke pointed out that some invitations had gone unanswered, including the MyLesen B2 programme for students in Johor Baru earlier this year, which saw no state representatives in attendance.
“I understand election season can be busy. Perhaps some things were forgotten,” he said.
He also drew a line between official functions and routine working visits, noting that not every ministry activity warranted a formal invitation to the menteri besar.
Still, Loke said Onn Hafiz would receive an official invite to the KTM Komuter Selatan launch in Kulai, where he is expected to deliver a speech.
The transport minister also revealed that Johor’s state executive councillor for transport had joined a trial run of the service in March — before operational details were finalised — though the ministry had not been informed of the visit.
The back-and-forth follows Loke’s public invitation last week for Onn Hafiz to join him on a commemorative train ride marking the service’s launch.
Onn Hafiz has since confirmed he will attend, but maintained that the state government was informed late, despite the event being planned earlier.
He also reiterated claims that several ministry programmes between 2023 and 2025 had proceeded without invitations extended to him or the relevant state officials. – June 14, 2026
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