JOHOR BARU: Umno's decision to field fresh faces in 70% of Johor state seats is part of its agenda to form a more stable government after the March 12 election.

       Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said people were looking to Umno with hopes that it could offer them stability, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       "The fall of the previous Pakatan Harapan government was its own fault, some of them decided to leave the coalition.

       "Then Umno stepped up to take on the responsibility of forming a government.

       "When the people were dealing with the pandemic, it was our minister from Umno, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who (as defence minister), came forward every day and delivered updates on the situation," he said on Friday (Feb 25) after visiting the People's Housing Project (PPR) Masai, Bandar Seri Alam here.

       He said even ministers who were tasked with the national immunisation programme were also from Umno, aside from the Foreign Minister who managed to get vaccines donated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government.

       "Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Khairy Jamaluddin were given the task of the immunisation and vaccination programme, while Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein's good relationships with foreign countries brought donated vaccines to our country.

       "All of them are from Umno.

       "When Ismail Sabri was appointed Prime Minister, he managed to work with the Pakatan leadership under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on bipartisan cooperation that led to the Budget 2022 tabling going smoothly," he said, adding that all of this was achieved by ministers with political acumen.