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Malaysians worry more about racial and religious bigots than pencuri-pencuri (thieves)?
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12, 2026: Johor has been and is still Umno’s political stronghold since Merdeka (Independence) 1957.
What is worrying is the Johor “blue wave” spreading to all other states.
PKR and DAP (or Pakatan Harapan - PH) have only themselves to blame for their crushing electoral defeats in Johor yesterday.
They took the support of multi-racial Malaysians who treasure national unity and harmony for granted.
After coming to power after the 2022 15th General Election (GE15), PH ignored their supporters, specifically PH chief and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while DAP became a toothless tiger and transforming into Anwar’s political lap dog or MCA 2.0.
The signs of dwindling support for PH started in the Sabah elections in November when PH fared badly, with the DAP losing all 10 seats it contested, including the eight seats that it held.
PKR and DAP ignored the political warning signs, and carried on with “business as usual” - a sure sign of political downfalls.
In Johor, the same warning signs surfaced - with DAP losing four of the 10 seats it contested (including losing two seats it won in GE15) and PKR and Amanah winning only a seat each.
There are still no signs of any change in Anwar, DAP and PH after the crushing political defeats in Johor.
In GE15, there was no “blue wave”, with multi-racial Malaysians dumping the racial and religious corrupt and thieving Umno with only 26 MPs in the 222-seat Parliament.
Will the “blue wave” now spread to all other states in GE16? If yes, then it is a sad day for multi-racial Malaysians who will have to be prepared to be governed by a Taliban-like government and face socio-economic misey from Umno, a party of thieves.
And, with Umno showing signs of renewed political strength (no thanks to Anwar), why must it even consider sharing power with PAS?
Umno, with the likes of its youth chief Dr Akmal “Dr Ham/I Am Malay First” Saleh, can govern on its own with Taliban-like policies.
What is certain from the Johor polls is that the racist Perikatan Nasional (PN)-Bersatu, led by the unpatriotic Muhyiddin “I Am Malay First” Yassin, is all but politically wiped out and the “green wave” is just history with both Bersatu and PAS dumped in garbage bins, losing all seats it contested in Johor.
It could be a political folly should PKR and DAP remain arrogant and go into the Negri Sembilan (N9) Aug 1 state polls without showing or doing any significant change in policies and action to keep the racial and religious bigots and thieves checked.
In short, it is Johor multi-racial Malaysians' wake-up call to Anwar and PH!
With Anwar and DAP showing no signs of any positive response to their supporters’ disappointment to unfulfilled electoral promises of reforms, N9 may become the third state to fall to the Umno-led BN.
What next? Melaka, and then the rest of the states and the federal government (GE16)?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below news reports on the Johore elections and the full results:
From 3 seats to none: fragmented PN faces wipeout
Nicholas Chung
At the Johor election, more was at stake for Bersatu, in seeking to underline its relevance, if any, after PAS ended their political cooperation.
PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar took over the PN chairmanship from Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in February as their ties went downhill.
PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional, which won three seats in 2022, looks likely to be wiped out at the Johor state assembly, following a divided two weeks of campaigning in which coalition partners PAS and Bersatu went separate ways in 27 seats.
The opposition coalition took a heavy hit even before polling day was fixed, when PAS decided early last month to end its political cooperation with Bersatu.
PN’s status and direction were thrown into limbo, even though PAS took over chairmanship of the coalition in February through its vice-president, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
Nonetheless, Bersatu may have had more at stake in the Johor polls, as the party would have been seeking to underline its relevance, if any, to PAS.
However, the Islamic party did not indicate any seriousness about launching a formidable PN challenge to Barisan Nasional, with whom it had been accused of having a tacit political understanding for the election.
Bersatu leaders accused Samsuri of being slow to call for crucial PN meetings to prepare for the state polls, while the other PN component parties appeared to be walking on eggshells as they sought to navigate the coalition’s new dynamics.
Ultimately, PN contested only 33 of the 56 seats at stake, with Bersatu vying for 16, PAS 11, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) five and Pejuang — among the latest additions to PN — one.
Gerakan did not field any candidates due to internal issues with its Johor chapter, while PN’s other new component, former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin’s Parti Wawasan Negara, opted to sit out the state election.
The PAS decision to field only 11 candidates raised eyebrows when it was expected to try and further expand its reach in Malay seats across the peninsula.
PAS, whose machinery and support has been credited as being the backbone of PN, also decided not to help any of Bersatu’s 16 candidates campaign, undoubtedly dealing a heavy blow to former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.
Bersatu, however, still helped the PAS campaign.
Although PAS ordered its members and supporters to back BN in seats not contested by PN, Bersatu left it to the discretion of its supporters, leaving room for them to back Pakatan Harapan.
PN headed into the polls with just three seats to its name from the 2022 state election: Bukit Kepong and Endau which were held by Bersatu, and PAS’s Maharani seat. The coalition ended up the losers.
Bersatu’s Dr Sahruddin Jamal, a former menteri besar, failed to hold Bukit Kepong, a seat in the Pagoh parliamentary constituency represented by party leader Muhyiddin since 1995.
The party also failed to retain Endau as Alwiyah Talib, who won the seat with Umno in 2018 and then Bersatu in 2022, was elected to a third term as its assemblyman, but is now back in Umno again.
Meanwhile, PAS lost the Maharani seat to BN, while its biggest figure fielded, state chief Mahfodz Omar, failed to wrest Serom from the Umno-led coalition.
Maiden outings for MIPP, Pejuang end in defeat
MIPP’s maiden election outing and Pejuang’s first under the PN banner both ended in disappointment.
MIPP, an MIC splinter, ended up not clashing with MIC in any seat despite both being Indian-based parties. However, its candidates in Bukit Permai, Paloh, Kota Iskandar, Pemanis, and Permas were soundly defeated by those fielded by Umno and MCA.
Pejuang, which challenged for the Gambir seat, was bested in a three-cornered race, while Gerakan retained some dignity by not fielding any candidates, thereby avoiding another election wipeout. Nonetheless, questions will continue to be asked about its failure to help PN attract non-Malay voters, especially from the Chinese community.
DAP survives Johor test as PKR, Amanah falter
Lynelle Tham
The state election exposes PH’s uneven performance, with DAP managing to hold some ground while PKR and Amanah struggled to regain lost support.
(From left) Former education minister Maszlee Malik won Puteri Wangsa, but Batu Pahat MP Onn Abu Bakar and Pulai MP Suhaizan Kayat were defeated in their respective contests in the Johor state election.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan was left reeling from a disastrous outcome in the 17th Johor state election yesterday, winning only eight of the 56 seats it contested.
The coalition’s performance told a stark tale of contrasts among its three component parties. While DAP lost several key seats, it managed to hold on to six of its traditional strongholds, but PKR and Amanah continued to struggle in their attempts to rebuild support in the state.
DAP, which contested 17 seats, only retained Bentayan, Penggaram, Mengkibol, Senai, Skudai and Stulang.
It ceded Jementah, Tangkak and Johor Jaya to MCA, and Perling to MIC, suggesting erosion in the party’s urban and Chinese support base.
However, DAP comfortably retained Skudai despite replacing Marina Ibrahim, who quit politics over a candidate selection dispute that became the party’s biggest internal controversy before campaigning began.
PKR, which contested the most number of seats at 20, again failed to make significant inroads.
The party lost Bukit Batu, its only seat from the 2022 state election, but captured Puteri Wangsa from Muda. PH had held Puteri Wangsa since 2013.
The result extended PKR’s miserable run in Johor after it was reduced to a single seat in 2022 following its five-seat victory during PH’s historic 2018 win.
Unlike BN, which built its campaign around menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, PH went into the election without naming a menteri besar candidate or poster boy, saying it respected the Johor palace’s prerogative to appoint the state’s leader.
Without an official campaign figurehead, much of the attention fell on former education minister Maszlee Malik, who contested Puteri Wangsa in a bid to revive his political career after losing the Simpang Renggam parliamentary seat and the Layang-Layang contest in 2022.
Maszlee succeeded in winning Puteri Wangsa by 5,744 votes, but the party’s overall performance remained underwhelming.
PKR had also pinned its hopes on Batu Pahat MP Onn Abu Bakar in Senggarang, but he was defeated by a majority of 7,916 votes.
Coming less than a year after its disappointing Sabah election performance, the latest result is likely to intensify pressure on PKR as it heads into the Negeri Sembilan polls in three weeks, and prepares for a possible general election later this year.
Amanah likewise failed to stage a comeback, retaining only Simpang Jeram, the sole seat it won in the 2022 state election, after securing nine seats during PH’s 2018 victory.
The party fielded Pulai MP Suhaizan Kaiat in Larkin after he successfully defended the Pulai parliamentary seat in the 2023 by-election, but lost by a majority of 20,282 votes.
Despite expanding its contest to 19 seats this election, Amanah failed to translate the broader fielding strategy into electoral gains, again casting doubt on the party’s value to PH.
Analysts see growing non-Malay rejection of DAP, PH
Dineskumar Ragu
The scale of PH's defeat also showed that the Anwar Ibrahim brand is no longer enough to switch support to PH candidates automatically, says an analyst.
An analyst said the Johor election results showed that non-Malay protest votes were cast against DAP and PH in Johor, as in Sabah last year. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Johor election results show a growing rejection of Pakatan Harapan among non-Malay voters, political analysts said after PH won only eight seats yesterday, for a loss of four seats since 2022.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said DAP and PH, for years, had been able to count on strong support from Chinese and Indian voters, especially in urban and mixed constituencies. However, the Johor results showed that such an assumption was no longer safe.
“More worrying for PH than any seat won by Barisan Nasional is the message sent by those who chose not to vote at all. Across several mixed constituencies, lower participation among non-Malay voters appears to have hurt PH’s ability to remain competitive,” he told FMT.
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said non-Malay voters had once again cast protest votes against DAP and PH by voting for BN in Johor, after doing so with Warisan in Sabah last year in the state elections.
Oh Ei Sun.
“If PH doesn’t quicken its reform pace, say, in the remaining year or so, it’s likely to lose some seats in the next general election,” he warned.
Official results show that PH won only 8 seats, down by four from the 12 it won in 2022. DAP won six seats, while PKR and Amanah each won a seat. Four DAP seats won in 2022 were taken by MCA and MIC, according to results, including DAP’s strongholds of Johor Jaya and Perling.
Abandon Johor takeover dream
Zaharuddin and Oh urged PH to abandon its ambition to take power in Johor, as the results showed that the state would remain BN’s most solid fortress.
Zaharuddin said that PH should have learned its lesson from its loss of Chinese support in Sabah, by focusing on rebuilding its core support base. Instead of doing so, PH doubled down by trying to become the next Johor government despite the solid support for BN.
“Instead of contesting almost every constituency, PH should focus on becoming Johor’s strongest and most credible opposition. Concentrate resources on winnable seats. Build respected local leaders. Hold the government accountable. Earn trust before asking for power,” he added.
Oh says that it is better for PH to focus its resources on winning a sizeable number of seats so that it can become an effective state opposition.
Voters’ rejection of Anwar?
Awang Azman Awang Pawi.
Political scientist Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the Johor results posed a clear warning to Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister and PH chairman. “The scale of PH’s defeat showed that the Anwar brand is no longer enough to switch support to PH candidates automatically,” he told FMT.
However, it was not easy to conclude that the entire electorate had rejected or lost faith in Anwar.
Azman said the PH campaign in Johor relied heavily on national figures, although state elections required more localised messaging on the Johor PH chief, what development model PH could offer Johor, and why PH would be better in office than Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s government.
He said the “paradox of the PH-BN relationship,” has affected Anwar, as he had to preserve his working relationship with BN in Putrajaya while at the same time asking Johor voters to reject BN.
“This message is difficult to explain to ordinary voters and gave BN an advantage to claim that state stability is more important than national-level competition,” he said.
“This election result is not necessarily an absolute referendum on Anwar’s qualification as a prime minister. However, it shows that his personal political capital has diminished and is geographically and institutionally limited. Anwar is still acceptable as the leader of the federal government, but PH in Johor can no longer survive solely on his charisma and reputation,” he added.
All the winners of the 16th Johor state election
Alysha Edward
BN secured a 48-seat supermajority while PH took the other eight, and PN saw multiple candidates losing their deposits.
(From left) Johor BN chief Onn Hafiz Ghazi, MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon and Johor MIC chief K Raven Kumar all secured another term as assemblymen, while PKR’s Maszlee Malik makes his formal comeback by winning Puteri Wangsa.
PETALING JAYA: The curtains have closed on the 16th Johor state election, with Barisan Nasional comfortably retaining control of the state government after securing 48 of the 56 seats up for grabs.
The 16th state election was a competitive affair with 172 candidates vying for 56 seats, down from 239 candidates in the 2022 state polls.
Pakatan Harapan won the remaining eight seats, forming the only other bloc in the state assembly, while Perikatan Nasional saw multiple candidates losing their deposits.
The others that contested included Perikatan Nasional, Muda, Parti Bersama Malaysia, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Parti Orang Asli Malaysia, and independent candidates, but they were all wiped out.
The full results:
N1 Buloh Kasap
Winner: Zahari Sarip (BN) – 14,054 votes (8,600 majority)
Rozy Razit (PH) – 5,454
N2 Jementah
Winner: See Ann Giap (BN) – 12,522 votes (913 majority)
Ng Kor Sim (PH) – 11,609
Saifullah Abdul Wahab (PN) – 2,907
N3 Pemanis
Winner : Anuar Abdul Manap (BN) – 14,506 votes (8,380 majority)
Jalex Lee (PH) – 6,126
Dr A Ariventharan (PN) – 663
N4 Kemelah
Winner: K Raven Kumar (BN) – 11,893 votes (3,838 votes)
Afif Abdul Hamid (PH) – 8,055
Uzzair Ismail (PN) – 3,545
N5 Tenang
Winner: Azahar Ibrahim (BN) – 8,199 votes (3,394 majority)
Elia Nadira Sabudin (PH) – 4,805
Normala Sudirman (PN) – 1,412
Siti Aisyah Zobir (Independant) – 164
N6 Bekok
Winner: Tan Chong (BN) – 10,230 votes (4,263 majority)
Tay Yok Jiuen (PH) – 5,967
N7 Bukit Kepong
Winner: Ahmad Syar’e Yusof (BN) – 16,386 votes (10,761 majority)
C Subramani (PH) – 4,667
Dr Sahruddin Jamal (PN) – 5,625
N8 Bukit Pasir
Winner : Fazli Salleh (BN) – 14,220 votes (7,600 majority)
Najib Lep (PH) – 6,620
Idzhar Nasirruddin (PN) – 3,872
N9 Gambir
Winner: Sahrihan Jani (BN) – 13,427 votes (6,734 majority)
Suraya Sulaiman (PN) – 1,888
Nor Yusof (PH) – 6,693
N10 Tangkak
Winner : Haw Chin Teck (BN) – 14,010 votes (3,182 majority)
Ee Chin Li (PH) – 10,828
N11 Serom
Winner : Nadhirah Afiqah Abdull Rahim (BN) – 17,213 votes ( 9,406 majority)
Ahmad Nazari Abdul Hamid (PH) – 7,807
Mahfidz Omar (PN) – 3,656
N12 Bentayan
Winner: Ng Yak Howe (PH) – 13,917 votes (6,112 majority)
Chua Lee Huat (BN) – 7,805
N13 Simpang Jeram
Winner: Nazri Abdul Rahman (PH) – 12,022 (170 majority)
Ainie Haziqah Shafii (Muda) – 1,467
Azman Ismail (BN) – 11,852
Arshed Yahya @ Awang (PN) – 3,962
N14 Bukit Naning
Winner : Ghazali Sabari (BN) – 9,174 votes (3,610 majority)
Ysahrudin Kusni (PH) – 5,564
Radzi Amin (PN) – 1,896
Iskandar Alias (Bersama) – 138
S Jeghanaathan (Independent) – 586
N15 Maharani
Winner: Ashari Sarip (BN) – 10,570 votes (2,143 majority)
Taqiuddin Cheman (PH) – 8,427
Amir Fiqri Mustapha (Muda) – 2,495
Anuar Hayan (PN) – 5,658
N16 Sungai Balang
Winner :Selamat Takim (BN) – 13,908 votes (8,926 majority)
oraya Badaruddin (PH) – 3,980
Amin Sailan (PN) – 4,982
N17 Semerah
Winner: Fared Khalid (BN) – 23,206 votes (15,663 majority)
Khuzzan Abu Bakar (PH) – 7,543
Halim Kepol (PN) – 3,906
N18 Sri Medan
Winner: Zulkurnain Kamisan (BN) – 20,090 votes (15,814 majority)
Hishamuddin Ishak (PH) – 2,224
Rosdi Bahari (PN) – 4,276
N19 Yong Peng
Winner: Ling Tian Soon (BN) – 13,630 votes (4,603 majority)
Yong Hui Yi (PH) – 9,027
N20 Semarang
Winner : Samsolbari Jamali (BN) – 17,374 votes (14,679 majority)
Ramli Abd Hamid (PH) – 2,205
Syafiq Aziz (PN) – 2,695
N21 Parit Yaani
Winner: Najib Samuri (BN) – 19,665 votes (7,620 majority)
Ezam Taslim (PH) – 12,045
N22 Parit Raja
Winner: Rashidah Ramli (BN) – 19,752 votes (13,576 majority)
Shazwan Zdainal Abidin (PH) – 6,176
Maliki Rapiee (PN) – 2,617
N23 Penggaram
Winner: Poh Rui Ling (PH) – 24,522 votes (4,137 majority)
Boo Chin Liong (BN) – 20,385
N24 Senggarang
Winner: Yusla Ismail (BN) – 16,797 votes (7,916 majority)
Onn Abu Bakar (PH) – 8,881
Rashid Hasnon (PN) – 2,058
N25 Rengit
Winner: Zaidi Japar (BN) – 14,826 votes (10,817 majority)
Yazid Bakri (PH) – 4,009
Syed Mohamad Syed Alwi (PN) – 1,739
N26 Machap
Winner : Onn Hafiz Ghazi (BN) – 20,382 votes (15,375 majority)
Hafiz Roslan (PH) – 5,007
N27 Layang-Layang
Winner: Chua Jian Boon (BN) – 11,579 votes (7,912 majority)
B Guna (PH) – 3,667
Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim (PN) – 1,993
N28 Mengkibol
Winner: Chu Poh Yee (PH) – 23,768 votes (4,213 majority)
Yap Zhi Peng (BN) – 19,555
N29 Mahkota
Winner: Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah (BN) – 30,398 votes (16,645 majority)
Ahmad Zuhan Zain (PH) – 13,753
Abdul Hamid Ali (Bersama) – 1,546
N30 Paloh
Winner : Lee Ting Han (BN) – 11,181 votes (6,199 majority)
Dr A Ruban (PH) – 4,982
D Jeevakumar (PN) – 571
G Kamaleswaren (Independant) – 105
N31 Kahang
Winner: V Rugendran (BN) – 15,251 votes (12,013 majority )
Sabri Kadir (PH) – 3,238
Mazlan Bujang (PN) – 2,771
N32 Endau
Winner: Alwiyah Talib (BN) – 9,529 votes (3,545 majority)
Saiful Nizam Samat (PH) – 2,552
Hasnul Hakimi Hussein (PN) – 5,984
Jati Awang (Parti Orang Asli Malaysia) – 394
N33 Tenggaroh
Winner: Youzaimi Yusof (BN) – 3,656 votes (15,258 majority)
Yusof Dawam (PH) – 2,623
Amerul Muhamad (PN) – 3,912
N34 Panti
Winner: Naqib Ghazali (BN) – 22,823 votes (18,948 majority)
Daniel Sharudin (PH) – 3,875
Alias Rasman (PN) – 3,115
N35 Pasir Raja
Winner: Dr Adham Baba (BN) – 15,931 votes (12,446 majority)
Fakharuddin Moslim (PH) – 1,853
Yuhanita Yunan (PN) – 3,485
N36 Sedili
Winner: Muszaide Makmor (BN) – 18,790 votes (16,213 majority)
Amirul Huzni Onn (PH) – 693
Rasman Ithnain (PN) – 2,577
N37 Johor Lama
Winner: Norlizah Noh (BN) – 19,038 votes (16,344 majority)
Danish Rahman (PH) – 2,694
Aisah Esa (PN) – 2,097
N38 Penawar
Winner: Fauziah Misri (BN) – 19,213 votes (15,776 majority)
Sawaludin Salleh (PH) – 747
Fairulnizar Rahmat (PN) – 3,437
N39 Tanjung Surat
Winner : Aznan Tamin (BN) – 17,473 votes (15,642 majority)
Faizul Abdul Ghani (PH) – 1,831
N40 Tiram
Winner : Abdul Halim Suleiman (BN) – 49,965 votes (28,255 majority)
Nor Zulaila Abd Ghani (PH) – 21,710
Khirul Muntanazar Ismail (PN) – 9,225
Harith Fakhrudin Abdul Malik (Bersama) – 2,229
N.41 Puteri Wangsa
Winner Maszlee Malik (PH) – 41,821 votes (5,744 majority)
Teow Chia Ling (BN) – 36,077
Rashifa Aljuneid (Muda) – 5,887
Nicholas Paul Vincent (Bersama) – 2,332
Wang Wee Siong (Independent) – 227
N42 Johor Jaya
Winner : Chan San San (BN) – 35,971 votes (7,268 majority)
Lee Wern Yiing (PH) – 28,703
Lau Yi Leong (Bersama) – 2,051
HP Lim (Independent) – 195
N43 Permas
Winner: Baharudin Taib (BN) – 51,274 votes (29,505 majority)
Teo Siew Hui (PH) – 21,769
T Vela (PN) – 2,972
Dr Zamil Najwah (Bersama) – 3,147
N44 Larkin
Winner : Hairi Mad Shah (BN) – 33,882 votes (20,282 majority)
Suhaizan Kaiat (PH) – 13,600
Norsinah Abu (Bersama) – 2,737
N45 Stulang
Winner : Andrew Chen (PH) – 17,560 votes (623 majority)
Bong Seng Heng (BN) – 16,937
Lim Chin Eng (PN) – 1,238
Stanley Tan (Bersama) – 1,372
N46 Perling
Winner: B Pannir Selvam (BN) – 33,468 votes (1,611 majority)
Tee Boon Tsong (PH) – 31,857
Boo Wei Han (Bersama) – 2,996
N47 Kempas
Winner: Ramlee Bohani (BN) – 28,146 votes (14,953 majority)
Faezuddin Puad (PH) – 13,193
Salamahafifi Yusnaieny (Bersama) – 1,817
N48 Skudai
Winner: J Kartiyaini (PH) – 39,821 votes (15,280 majority)
Tan Hiang Kee (BN) – 24,541
Amir Syafiq Ameer Soekre (PSM) – 964
Eugene Chua (Bersama) – 2,471
N49 Kota Iskandar
Winner: Pandak Ahmad (BN) – 52,892 votes (21,206 majority)
Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH) – 31,686
S Anna Pravina (PN) – 3,249
Sahrudin Omar (Bersama) – 2,691
N50 Bukit Permai
Winner: Jafni Shukor (BN) – 21,870 votes (12,721 majority)
Shafwan Ani (PH) – 9,149
M Lina Manoh (PN) – 741
Aidil Riduan Yusof (Bersama) – 792
N51 Bukit Batu
Winner: R Kumaran (BN) – 16,899 votes (174 majority)
Arthur Chiong (PH) – 16,725
M Premanand (Muda) – 387
G Tamili (Bersama) – 821
Kamaruzaman Ali (Independant) – 599
N52 Senai
Winner: Wong Bor Yang (PH) – 24,007 votes (3,595 majority)
Tai Chee Chee (BN) – 20,412
Tew Chian How (Bersama) – 1,676
N53 Benut
Winner: Sumali Reduan (BN) – 18,492 votes (15,701 majority)
Abdul Razak Ismail (PH) – 2,791
N.54 Pulai Sebatang
Winner :Hasrunizah Hassan (BN) – 23,376 votes (13,590 majority)
Haniff Hosman (PH) – 9,786
N55 Pekan Nanas
Winner: Tan Eng Meng (BN) – 19,951 votes (12,281 majority)
Yeo Tung Siong (PH) – 7,670
N56 Kukup
Winner: Israk Abdullah (BN) – 18,399 votes (11,354 majority)
Cheah Chee Hong (PH) – 7,045
Muda-PSM ‘progressive block’ draws blanks, again
'Ainin Wan Salleh
The outcome of the Johor polls may force the two parties to rethink their election strategies, possibly placing more urgency on reaching pacts with grand coalitions.
Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz was the party’s sole assemblyman following the 2022 Johor state election. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Muda suffered a wipeout in the Johor state election with all four of its candidates defeated, while Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) also failed to win the only seat it contested.
The “progressive bloc” continued to display its weak support having also drawn blanks during the six state elections in 2023, when the two parties ventured without a pact with any major coalition.
For Muda, this outcome marks a sharp reversal from the 2022 Johor election when the youth party, then allied with Pakatan Harapan, won one of the seven seats it contested through then secretary-general Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz’s victory in Puteri Wangsa.
Amira defeated candidates from Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional, Pejuang and Parti Bangsa Malaysia by a 7,114-vote majority at the time.
Amira, now the Muda president, opted not to defend Puteri Wangsa this time around, saying she was preparing to contest a parliamentary seat in the next general election (GE16).
Muda’s founding president and sole MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, meanwhile, decided not to hit the campaign trail for his party following the Federal Court’s deferral of its decision in his corruption case.
Muda sorely missed Syed Saddiq’s presence during the two weeks of campaigning, which would raise questions about the party’s continuity without the former youth and sports minister in the driver’s seat.
Its secretary-general, Ainie Haziqah Shafii, lost in Simpang Jeram, while Amir Jack was defeated in Maharani, Rashifa Aljunied in Puteri Wangsa, and M Premanand in Bukit Batu.
All of them lost their deposits.
Similarly, PSM’s Amir Syafiq Ameer Soekre failed to mount much of a challenge in Skudai.
The outcome of the Johor polls will undoubtedly force Muda-PSM to rethink its election strategies, possibly placing more urgency on reaching electoral pacts with grand coalitions for other upcoming elections, including GE16.
55 Johor polls candidates lose deposits, 21 from PN
Bernama
Seven candidates from PH also lost their deposits while all of Bersama, Muda and PSM's candidates suffered a similar fate.
PN fielded 33 candidates in the Johor polls, comprising 16 from Bersatu, 11 from PAS, five from MIPP and one from Pejuang.
JOHOR BAHRU: A total of 55 candidates in the Johor state election lost their deposits after failing to obtain one-eighth of the total number of votes counted yesterday.
Perikatan Nasional, which fielded 33 candidates comprising 16 from Bersatu, 11 from PAS, five from the Malaysian Indian People’s Party and one from Pejuang, had the highest number of candidates losing their deposits with 21.
Rafizi Ramli’s Parti Bersama Malaysia, a newcomer to the country’s political landscape, saw all 15 of its candidates lose their deposits.
Seven candidates from Pakatan Harapan also lost their deposits.
In addition, all six independent candidates, Muda’s four candidates, and the sole candidates from Parti Orang Asli Malaysia and Parti Sosialis Malaysia lost their deposits.
Candidates aged between 18 and 40 recorded the highest proportion of deposit losses, accounting for 21 of the 51 candidates in that age group, or 41%.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12, 2026: The Johor election results should serve as a wake-up call to prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, the DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
FLASHBACK: A senator has asked why Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has yet to be investigated for sedition after posting a picture of himself holding a sword on Facebook. Akmal had posted the picture, taken during a recent trip to Japan, on March 14. The picture was captioned: “No matter what, we will not waver from our stance. Better to die standing than live kneeling.”
