Its Johor chief, Liew Chin Tong, urged the government to reopen the Johor-Singapore border safely and immediately through the Covid-19 “test and release” approach without quarantine.

He added that the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) should also be extended to people travelling by car and motorcycle, instead of being confined to buses and flights.

Liew, who is contesting the Perling state seat in the March 12 state elections, also touched on public transportation and housing, saying the coalition would work with local authorities to solve traffic congestion and inadequate parking spaces in southern Johor.

“In the long run, the greater Johor Bahru area needs an efficient public transport system to include enough buses that are clean and on-time, and other transport modes, especially after the RTS (Rapid Transit System) is completed in 2026,” he said in a press conference.

He said the state government should develop a rental market that protects owners and tenants.

He added that PH would focus on fostering a better relationship between Putrajaya and the state government.

“While Putrajaya has all the power, it doesn’t necessarily understand the needs of Johor. The bureaucracy in Putrajaya often hinders the potential of Johor to grow and thrive.

“A new and fairer federal-state relationship will entail Putrajaya devolving its powers on healthcare and education, as well as partial roles of economic development, to the Johor state government.

“These tasks could be paid for by having the federal government sharing income tax collected from within Johor with the state government,” he said.