PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stepped up Pakatan Harapan's (PH) final campaign for the Johor state election by pledging to improve basic infrastructure and public services, while urging voters to back the coalition to deliver long-overdue development across the state.
Campaigning in the Senggarang and Rengit state constituencies on Thursday night, Anwar said Johor required political change to resolve persistent issues affecting local communities, including unreliable water supply, ageing healthcare facilities and inadequate public infrastructure.
Anwar travelled to Senggarang, campaigning alongside PH candidate Onn Abu Bakar before moving to Rengit with PH candidate Haji Mohamad Yazid to meet Orang Asli leaders and local residents.
Anwar welcomed the strong turnout at both events, describing the support from Batu Pahat's multi-ethnic communities as encouraging despite allegations that some Tok Batin and Orang Asli residents had been threatened for attending the gathering.
He said the turnout demonstrated that the Orang Asli community refused to be intimidated by what he described as outdated and dirty political tactics.
During the Rengit programme, Anwar questioned how Johor, one of Malaysia's wealthiest states, could still be facing fundamental infrastructure shortcomings, particularly the lack of a reliable water supply.
"There is no water? Johor is a wealthy state, yet there is no water? I am truly embarrassed. How can Johor not have enough water?" he said in a Facebook post.
Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chariman, said he had received numerous complaints from residents regarding inadequate basic amenities, especially the unresolved water supply issues that continued under the current Johor state administration.
He also highlighted the poor condition of the local health clinic after asking residents to identify the constituency's unresolved problems.
"The health clinic is in a dilapidated condition? How are people supposed to receive treatment? We expect the clinic to treat sick people, but it is the clinic itself that is in poor condition," he said.
Anwar said such deficiencies in public facilities and infrastructure could only be resolved through political change, urging voters to give Pakatan Harapan the mandate to govern Johor.
He said the coalition was prepared to shoulder that responsibility, pointing to its record in the Federal Government of resolving longstanding public issues and reviving delayed development projects, including those in Johor.
Anwar also condemned the alleged intimidation of Orang Asli village heads and community leaders who attended the event, stressing that no one should be threatened simply for meeting the Prime Minister.
"I want to tell the Tok Batin and community leaders present here to remember this. It is unacceptable that people should be afraid or threatened simply for attending a meeting with the Prime Minister.
"I want to know who made these threats. I want to summon that person and ask why anyone would intimidate people for coming to meet me," he said.
Anwar said his engagement with the Orang Asli community was intended to better understand and resolve their concerns before urging Johoreans to vote for Pakatan Harapan in Saturday's state election to bring about meaningful change, stronger public services and a fairer future for all. - July 10, 2026
