THAT the Pakatan Harapan (PH) main operations room was deserted of top leaders in the aftermath of the Johor state election official outcome has raised concerns that the ruling coalition’s thumping defeat to Barisan Nasional (BN) yesterday (July 10) could see a repeat come the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan polls.
Probably missing the master strategist Rafizi factor, that writing was already on the wall ever since Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi unveiled dissolution of the Johor state assembly on June 1.
The landslide 48-8 drubbing which is an improvement from 40-16 in the previous March 12, 2022 state polls is the heavy price PH paid for its perceived arrogance during campaigning, not to mention its acute incompetency in conveying what it has on the table for Johorians at large.
Amid the widening victory margin, jubilant UMNO grassroots are rubbing salt on their opponents’ wound by rooting for the head of DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming who has been making headlines with the statement that “I’ll be the first person to resign if UMNO wins big in Johor and Najib is freed”.
Even rightist UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh took a swipe at the Housing and Local Government Minister by offering to pen the latter’s resignation letter.
PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was no exception as detractors trolled him in his “thank you, Johor” message to take responsibility by probably emulating the call by Nga to step down following his perceived arrogance for having stated that “win or lose I’m still the PM of the day”.
MCA’s resurrection vs DAP’s demise?
As if a PH thumping is not enough, the very fact that the Rocket lost out to its nemesis MCA by a 8-6 scoreline is yet another wake-up call lest a harbinger of what to expect in the 16th General Election (GE16) that must be held before Feb 17, 2028.
This is double its precious achievement as Malaysia’s oldest Chinese political party only won four seats in the 2022 state polls.
The outcome of the Johor election overturns a record of consistent MCA losses in urban, Chinese-majority seats to DAP over the past decade or so and could put to rest calls for MCA to leave BN, reported Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The party’s biggest achievement tonight was in regaining Tangkak, Jementah and Johor Jaya, three seats that were MCA seats for years before falling to DAP in 2013, 2018 and 2022 although with significantly reduced majorities.
MCA also managed to maintain its grip on Pekan Nanas, Yong Peng, Bekok and Paloh – seats that it won in 2022 – and even helped BN hold on to the Layang-Layang seat which UMNO won in 2022 with its candidate Chua Jian Boon seeing off the challenge of PKR’s B. Guna and Bersatu’s Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim.
In contrast, DAP saw its 10 seats dwindle to six with three lost to MCA and one to MIC (Perling) while clinging on to the Bentayan, Mengkibol, Stulang, Penggaram, Senai and Skudai seats.
The consolation is that this is still a saving grace for it averts a repeat of an 8-0 wipe-out DAP experienced in the Sabah polls in November 2025.
Renowned political commentator Prof James Chin summed up DAP’s devastation in a short and sweet sarcasm-laced manner: “No other way to say it. The Nons are very angry with Rocket so they stayed at home! DAP’s honeymoon with (the) Nons (are) truly over …” – July 12, 2026
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