Gelang Patah
Gelang Patah was administered by ruling coalation, Barisan Nasional for over 5 decades until the 13th Malaysian General Elections located in the second most southern town in Johor, Malaysia. It is located about 25 km from Johor Bahru via state route J4 or via Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. Gelang Patah once famous for its otak-otak and seafoods.
One of its schools, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Gelang Patah is also featured in the School Programme by its government.
There are 2 constituencies under Gelang Patah Parliamentary which makes the total voters for this Chinese populated area is about 92 thousands people.
In 2013 general election, Barisan Nasional fielded the incumbent Johor Menteri Besar, Abdul Ghani Othman to contest in Gelang Patah against Democratic Action Party Supremo, Lim Kit Siang, a two-term member of parliament for Ipoh Timur. Lim won the election with a majority of 14,762 votes, defeating Abdul Ghani who captured 39,522 votes.
The DAP veteran then expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's decision not to admit former Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman into his new cabinet.
It is most unfair and ungrateful for Umno leaders to drop Ghani like a tonne of bricks after he failed to defeat me in Gelang Patah," said Lim.
Sime Darby said Ghani will be appointed as an independent and non-executive director. He had served as the Johor menteri besar for four terms lasting 18 years.
In the last general election in 2008, Barisan's Tan Ah Eng from the MCA retained the Gelang Patah seat by 8,851-vote majority. defeating Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Dr Zaleha Mustafa who captured 24, 779 votes, a strong sign that the opposition is making its way.
Kota Iskandar in Nusajaya, the new administration center for Johor Bahru replacing Bukit Timbalan in the heart of Johor is undergoing rapid developments. Various gigantic project kick start by the 5th Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi became a gold mine for ambitious international brands such as Legoland, Traders Hotel, Hello Kitty and Frost & Sullivan to benefit from the Iskandar Development Territory. Abdullah's intention was to generate massive Foreign Direct Investment especially from the neighbor country, Singapore and also the middle eastern countries.
With the target to inflow more than RM100 billion FDI under the belt of Iskandar Region Development Authority (IRDA) and with the help of Federal Government investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Berhad and also Johor State Government, Gelang Patah significantly change its color from a shantytown to a town of opportunity as it flooded by foreign companies, foreign forces and expatriates which causing the rise of living cost and denied the ownership of high end residential to the natives.
Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is the 3rd busiest port due to TEU's handling is located in Tanjung Pelepas, about 40 km from Gelang Patah town.
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Coordinates: 1°27′N 103°35′E / 1.450°N 103.583°E