With Barisan Nasional notching up another landslide election victory in Johor last night, the success of the youth party, Muda, in securing one seat highlights the dismal showing of the other parties.
Pakatan Harapan, which had 27 seats in the old state assembly, was cut down by half and Perikatan Nasional could only muster three seats after having won 12 in 2018.
A drubbing was in store for newcomers Pejuang, backed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Sabah-based Warisan, making its electoral debut in the peninsula.
Winner: Barisan Nasional/Umno
An obvious pick, and winners in more ways than one. Not only did the coalition secure power in the state, it also managed to maintain momentum from its other dominant state election wins in Melaka and Sarawak.
Influential Umno leaders had already been pushing Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to call for an early general election, and last night’s results will only make these calls grow louder and harder to ignore.
After securing a two-thirds majority in three straight elections, the bloc will likely be confident it will bounce back strongly from the shock loss it incurred in 2018.
Loser: Pakatan Harapan
After Melaka, Johor represents the second state that PH failed to retain after having won it in 2018.
It’s been a long few months for the coalition, which was marred by rumbles of disunity within its ranks. PKR’s decision to ditch the PH logo in Johor and use its own raised eyebrows, with even coalition partners DAP and Amanah both taking veiled jabs at their coalition ally.
PH faces an uphill battle if it is to return to being the political force it was in 2018. A general election could not come at a worse time, and its opponents are likely to know it and will seek to capitalise on the coalition’s weaknesses.
Winner: Muda
The youth party managed to pick up a seat in its first election, with its secretary-general Amira Aisya Abd Aziz winning in Puteri Wangsa.
While it didn’t see the same success in the six other constituencies it vied for, it’s still undoubtedly an important touchstone for a party that many doubted, given that its charismatic founder, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is Muar MP, was not contesting for a state seat.
The win gives the party a much sought-after legitimacy, and suggests one of the country’s newest parties may be here to stay.
Loser: PKR
The Anwar Ibrahim-led party had another poor election showing, having been wiped out in both Melaka and Sarawak.
It faired marginally better in Johor however, managing to pick up the Bukit Batu seat by the narrowest of margins. However, this is still four fewer than it won in 2018.
One of the bigger surprises of the night was former education minister Maszlee Malik’s loss in Layang-Layang. A splashy new addition to the party, Maszlee had been tipped as a potential menteri besar in the run up to the polls.
Loser: Pejuang
Another newcomer facing its first election, the Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led party made a statement of intent when it announced it would contest 42 seats, more than any other party.
Unfortunately, it didn’t win a single one.
With its chairman Mahathir not planning to contest in GE15, that leaves his son Mukhriz as Pejuang’s lone prominent figure. Given the way it stumbled out of the gate in Johor, it’ll take some doing to reverse its fortunes should a general election be held soon.
Source: freemalaysiatoday
