The objective of voters of Pulai and Simpang Jeram in the two by-elections on Sept. 9 is to ensure that Johor joins the club of Malaysian states before the next general election in 2027 with higher GDP per capita than the Malaysian average instead of joining Kelantan whose GDP per capita has dropped to less than one third of Malaysian average after over three decades of PAS Government.
This is obvious from the following table:
| 2022 GDP Per Capita (RM) | Percentage of Malaysian Average | |
|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | 127,199 | 231.7 |
| Labuan | 81,652 | 148.9 |
| Sarawak | 80,857 | 147.4 |
| Penang | 69,684 | 127.1 |
| Selangor | 59,908 | 109.3 |
| Malacca | 50,407 | 91.9 |
| Negeri Sembilan | 49,804 | 90.9 |
| Pahang | 47,177 | 86.1 |
| Johor | 41,058 | 75.0 |
| Perak | 36,924 | 67.3 |
| Sabah | 36,020 | 65.7 |
| Terengganu | 32,199 | 58.7 |
| Kedah | 25,967 | 47.4 |
| Perlis | 23,126 | 42.1 |
| Kelantan | 16,567 | 30.3 |
| Malaysia | 54,863 |
These data are from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia.
(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Penang on Friday, 1st September 2023)