Johor Menteri Besar Dato' Onn Hafiz Ghazi hosts Johor media at Sunway Puteri Hill, calling press a "strategic partner" in bringing governmentt policies to the people

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi has hosted a relaxed engagement session with Johor media personnel at Sunway Puteri Hill in Iskandar Puteri. He used the occasion to express appreciation for the press corps and to articulate his government’s view of the media as more than a news channel.

“For the State Government, the media is not just a news outlet, but a strategic partner that helps ensure that every policy and initiative can be clearly understood by the people,” Dato’ Onn Hafiz said in his translated post. “At the same time, the media also serves as a bridge that brings voices and issues in the field to the attention of the government.”

The Menteri Besar highlighted the importance of accuracy, source verification, and authenticity in reporting, particularly in what he described as a fast-paced information environment where the public needs reliable facts before forming judgments.

He extended appreciation to Johor media personnel for their commitment and professionalism, and expressed hope that the relationship between the State Government, the Johor Media Club, and media professionals would continue to be strengthened based on trust, openness, and mutual respect.

The session reflects an approach to media relations that frames press engagement as a two-way relationship, with the government communicating its policies through the media while also remaining open to hearing ground-level issues surfaced through media reporting.

Coming at a politically active period for Johor, with the JS-SEZ masterplan launch approaching and the Najib pardon debate playing out nationally, the cultivation of strong media relationships carries practical as well as symbolic value for the state government.

In other, but related news, UMNO Johor has welcomed the official decision to allow former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve his remaining sentence under house arrest, with chairman and Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi calling on all parties to understand the decision in its proper legal context.

You may read the full story here: UMNO Johor welcomes Najib house arrest decision, stresses sentence remains in force and rule of law must be respected