Zahid, who is also the Umno president, said the elections would not be held anytime soon and Amanah should instead focus on serving the people.

“The (general) election is in three years’ time. So don’t be preoccupied with politicking. We should instead be busy helping the people,” he told reporters after attending the closing of a convention here.

Earlier today, Johor Amanah said it planned to contest 12 to 20 seats in the next state election, citing a lack of direct negotiations between Pakatan Harapan and BN in the state.

Its deputy chairman, Dzulkefly Ahmad, said this was regardless of whether PH worked with BN or not at the polls, adding that Johor Amanah would particularly focus on retaining its existing Simpang Jeram seat.

In the 2022 state election, Amanah fielded candidates in 16 seats but only won one.

The late Salahuddin Ayub successfully defended the Simpang Jeram state seat which he won in the 14th general election in May 2018.

Amanah’s Nazri Abdul Rahman won the by-election in September last year following Salahuddin’s death.

Dzulkefly said the state chapter had decided on vying for the seats following Johor BN’s decision not to form a unity government in the state despite (cooperation from PH in) the recent Mahkota by-election which BN won.

Johor Amanah has repeatedly called for a unity government to be formed in the state but this has been rejected by menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi.