BATU PAHAT: Barisan Nasional (BN) and its component parties, including UMNO, MCA and MIC have been able to survive in the country's political arena for decades due to mature political practices, UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

He also said problems between rival political parties should always be resolved in a mature manner.

"Political problems are solved politically while legal problems are solved legally," he said when visiting the Bandar Tongkang Pechah district polling centre here with Parit Ya'ani BN candidate Datuk Mohd Najib Samuri today.

BN is contesting all 56 seats in the Johor state election.

More than 70 per cent of the candidates to be fielded by BN in the polls this time are new faces, with UMNO contesting in 37 state seats, MCA (15) and MIC (four).

Polling is on March 12 and early voting on March 8.

-- BERNAMA