BN extends control over Johor with ‘extraordinary’ victory. Will general election await next?

JOHOR BAHRU – Barisan Nasional (BN) has officially retained Johor after its state election, with the Election Commission confirming on July 11 that the coalition has won at least 44 out of the 56 contested seats – more than it did in 2022.

Such a thumping victory will make the prospect of an early general election ahead of Parliament’s expiry at end-2027 irresistible for the UMNO-led coalition.

Whether it can force Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s hand is another matter, as even without BN’s 30 MPs, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief’s multi-coalition government still retains a simple majority in the federal legislature.

PH and BN are set to do battle again at the Aug 1 vote in neighbouring Negeri Sembilan, which has become even more crucial in light of the Johor results. PH retaining the state will steady Anwar’s ship for the final year of his current term as prime minister.

However, BN reclaiming Negeri Sembilan with some level of cooperation from the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) – as was the case in Johor – will spell a different story. This may set the stage for a realignment of political forces, as Malay-Muslim nationalist parties look to seize power after the 16th general election.

Earlier, at its headquarters in downtown Johor Bahru, BN chairman Zahid Hamidi lauded the “extraordinary” result and credited Johor caretaker Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi for the victory.

“Of course this is on the backdrop of an efficient administration in Johor .. Through Onn Hafiz, after the government is formed with the consent of His Majesty, we promise the next term will be even better,” Zahid said.

The announcement was followed by a prayer recitation by UMNO secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, which included the declaration that the victory was accepted with responsibility and not arrogance.

“We will take care of all people in Johor regardless of race,” said Onn Hafiz. He is predicted to retain his Machap seat with an unassailable 11,000-vote majority, almost double the 6,500 votes he received in 2022.

SEE ALSO

Upcoming state polls in Johor, Negeri Sembilan a likely preview of Malaysia’s national elections

As Johor votes, investors watch for continuity in cross-border growth push

PH losses mount while PN is wiped out

PH’s component Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is contesting 17 seats, was trailing behind BN in nine seats – including Jementah and Tangkak, which it narrowly won in 2022. It was also neck and neck with BN in Johor Jaya, another seat where the party is the incumbent.

Despite recording some of the lowest turnouts, the party was gaining in Perling, Bentayan, Penggaram, Stulang and Skudai, according to DAP’s own unofficial count as of 7.22pm. The party won 10 seats in 2022.

PH election director Amirudin Shari attributed the defeat to a transfer of votes from PN supporters to BN candidates.

“Our core PH support is still very strong, the only problem is that PN has completely lost its base,” he said, pointing to a gain of overall votes for PH in these 2026 polls compared to 2022.

Despite the defeat at state level, he insisted that the BN-PH partnership will remain within the federal government, as all allies have pledged to see out their Parliamentary term.

“BN has promised too,” he said.

PH was also leading in Puteri Wangsa, which could see youth-centric Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) cede its only seat in Johor’s state assembly.

Perikatan Nasional (PN), which only contested in 33 seats, has been thrashed in all of them. These include the three seats it won in 2022, with BN currently leading in Maharani and Bukit Kepong.

Earlier, turnout figures had already pointed to a potentially grim outcome for PH.

As at 5pm, there was a pronounced divide between constituencies held by rival blocs in the state assembly. Turnout averaged about 65.7 per cent in BN-held seats, compared with 60 per cent in PH-held seats.

The lowest participation was concentrated largely in constituencies previously held by PH component party DAP, despite the party positioning itself as the vanguard of the coalition’s campaign in Johor. These include Perling, Bentayan, Penggaram, Stulang and Skudai.

In Penggaram and Bentayan, DAP had won with overwhelming majorities of 9,956 and 7,476 votes respectively in 2022. THE STRAITS TIMES