NINTH premier Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has found himself at odds with DAP grassroots with his damning prophecy that the country’s political landscape is now changing as non-Malay voters can no longer be considered as the party’s “fixed deposits”.
Pointing to DAP’s drubbing in the late November 2025 Sabah state election when all its eight candidates were defeated, the former UMNO vice-president foresaw a similar trend emerging in Johor given the support that Barisan Nasional (BN) is currently receiving from non-Malay voters.
Ismail Sabri who was the shortest-serving Malaysian PM at one year and 51 days further surmised that the old notion of non-Malay voters would definitely reject BN is no longer accurate given the rakyat are now more inclined to make choices based on the performance, stability and ability of a party to govern.
As such, the Bera MP reckoned that such change in sentiment has opened up a huge space for BN to penetrate with regard to the upcoming Johor state polis so long as the country’s oldest political coalition is able to offer stable leadership, convincing policies and a clear direction for the development of Johor.
In this regard, he called on non-Malay voters to support BN in the Johor state election, arguing that the coalition has a bright chance of forming the state government.
“We stick to DAP, PH”
Apparently, his prognosis of a gloomy outlook for DAP or the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition for that matter amid a likely swing of support that was aired by Malay language political portal AM Daily elicited negative feedback from non-Malay voters.
Doubts emerged as to the accuracy of Ismail Sabri’s prediction given he was unable to even guard his own premiership.
Additionally, his good image was also tarnished by public perception of his plundering the nation’s wealth and indulgence in money laundering following recovery of RM170 mil and 16kg of gold bars from the homes of his four former aides.
One commenter expressed concern that “all investors will run away of BN or PAS are allowed to rule (the country). 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Another claimed that “the Chinese shall not support the party of plunderers and corruptors” only to be mocked by detractors that the Madani government is not as clean as the image it tried to portray.
Despite this, one commenter is adamant that “when #Thieves speak out, I hope all voters stay away from UMNO/BN and #VotePakatanHarapan for the sake of the country’s future”
Even UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was dragged into the storyline given his infamous 47 charges related to money laundering, criminal breach of trust (CBT) and corruption/bribery.
Few commenters echoed that they would stick to PH “through thick and thin”.
Interestingly, a few Malay commenters also pledged their support for PH in the Johor state polls despite the state being renowned as a UMNO-BN stronghold.
“Not only the Chinese but even the younger Malay generation will vote for PH. Only those with old-fashioned thinking will vote for BN,” remarked one Malay electorate. – July 7, 2026
Main image credit: Harian Metro
