IT remains to be seen if Johor UMNO chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi will live to regret his ‘costly slip of the tongue’ that he would rather forgo his Menteri Besar position than sit at the same table with DAP.
This came about after DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook jabbed back by reminding the 47-year-old high flying MB since March 2022 that his president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is seated next to him during the weekly Cabinet meetings.
“You don’t want to sit at the same table with DAP … Great! Continue with your arrogance,” jibed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) deputy chairman in a much-acclaimed Facebook post.
“But your president sits next to the DAP secretary-general every week … kindly be informed … thank you!”
To give him benefit of doubt, the otherwise soft-spoken and workaholic Machap state assemblyman might have been overwhelmed by the UMNO/Barisan Nasional (BN) desire to go solo in both the upcoming Johor state election – and later in the national polls – to have made such so-called mis-calculated statement.
“If given the mandate again, we will never be with DAP in government. This isn’t an emotional or racial issue but the political stance of Johor BN,” he spoke at the Johor BN Machinery launching ceremony in the presence of UMNO president and BN chairman Zahid in Iskandar Puteri yesterday (June 7).
While Onn Hafiz has scored many brownie points in the eyes of the UMNO grassroots who yearn for their party to cease any tie with DAP, Madani backers have seized the moment to turn the tide against UMNO/BN with the former’s arrogant demeanour as evident from the 26K likes, 7.6K comments and 1.5K shares to Loke’s FB post.
On one hand, it is public knowledge that UMNO president Zahid is committed to his mentor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani/unity government till this the end of the GE15 (15th General Election) term.
Moreover, he cannot afford to rock the boat even if so desired by the UMNO grassroots as he is beholden to PMX by virtue of his unsettled DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal) stature pertaining to his Yayasan Akalbudi’s 47 criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering charges.
Therefore, from the Madani perspective, Onn Ghazi’s desire not to collaborate with DAP is seen as personally-motivated than reflecting the official stance of UMNO’s central leadership.
On the other hand, UMNO grassroots tends to think that the marriage of convenience which resulted in the birth of the unity government is merely a temporary reprieve as opposed to the PH mentality as if UMNO “is fond of you guys”.
Nevertheless, Onn Ghazi should be allowed to prove his words given if he is successful in his action which is reflective of a tactic to undermine the UMNO president, Zahid will have to give in “to the Johor gang which is not align with the party’s top leadership anyway”.
Well below are more ‘cute’ reactions across the cyberspace as to whether Onn Hafiz has displayed his political immaturity or just being tactical to fish for votes. – June 8, 2026
