Kuala Lampur, July 5 -- Johor has always occupied a unique place in the Malaysian imagination.

It is neither entirely like the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia nor wholly comparable to the East Coast states. It is not Kuala Lumpur, and it certainly is not Singapore. Yet Johor sits at the intersection of all these influences while retaining an identity unmistakably its own.

History and geography have combined to ensure that Johor remains distinct yet integral to Malaysia.

This reality explains why every election in Johor attracts attention beyond the state's borders and why political moods in Johor often become the subject of endless speculation among political parties, investors and observers alike.

The first question often aske...