JOHOR BAHRU, June 17 -- Caretaker Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has defended Barisan Nasional's (BN) decision to contest all 56 state assembly seats independently, rebuffing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's labels of "arrogance" by detailing Johor's extensive financial contributions to federal-run services.

In a statement issued last night, Onn Hafiz referred to the prime minister's view that the people of Johor should elect leaders who are wise, principled, and capable of cooperating effectively with the federal government.

He questioned whether the decision by Johor BN) to contest all 56 seats in the upcoming state election was the reason for being characterised as "arrogant," noting that the move was made to refl...