KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Kuching City FC have been drawn in different groups for the group stage of next season’s Asean Club Championship (ACC) during the draw conducted by the Asean Football Federation (AFF) today.

AFF, in a statement, said JDT have been drawn in Group B with Port FC (Thailand), Lion City Sailors FC (Singapore), Công An Hà Nội FC (Vietnam), PKR Svay Rieng FC (Cambodia), Persib Bandung (Indonesia) and the winner of playoff 2.

ACC debutants Kuching City, meanwhile, are in Group A with Buriram United FC and Ratchaburi FC (both Thailand), Tampines Rovers FC (Singapore), Borneo FC Samarinda (Indonesia) and the winner of playoff 1.

The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, which will be played on a home-and-away basis.

The semi-finals and final will also be played on a home-and-away format.

The ACC 2026-2027 brings together the best clubs in Southeast Asia, with group-stage matches played in a single round-robin format whereby each team will play three home and three away matches. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — The dissolution of the Johor state legislative assembly is timely as the state government is currently in its strongest position, backed by positive public support for the current leadership, says Umno Information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

According to Kosmo! Online, Azalina, said the announcement by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi falls within the state government’s rights and discretion.

“Talk about Johor dissolving the assembly has been ongoing for some time; it was only a matter of timing. We even said Melaka should come first before Johor, but now Johor is first,” she said.

“Perhaps with what has happened recently, the 80th Umno anniversary at the Johor Istana Besar, and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) winning the Super League title for the 12th consecutive season, I see strong positive support from the people of Johor towards the state leadership.”

She added that the state election process should be conducted with a strong emphasis on democratic principles and calm conduct.

“If possible, we must emphasise the democratic element. There should be no violence or issues arising. From a legal standpoint, we must understand the norms of elections in our system,” she said.

Azalina, who is also minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said candidate selection lies with the political bureau and the state Barisan Nasional leadership, which apply their own evaluation criteria.

However, she stressed that young voters are a key demographic that cannot be ignored, as they now make up a significant portion of the political landscape.