BN Secures Two-Thirds Landslide in Johor Election Wipeout

JOHOR BAHRU, July 12 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has stormed back into power after capturing a dominant two-thirds majority in the 16th Johor State Election, securing 48 out of the 56 seats contested to re-establish its absolute control over the southern state.

The remaining eight seats were secured by Pakatan Harapan (PH), marking a devastating shift for alternative political rivals as major coalitions like Perikatan Nasional (PN) and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) were completely shut out of the state assembly. The final tally marks a significant eight-seat increase for BN compared to the 40 seats it commanded following the 2022 state polls. The Election Commission (EC) finalized the comprehensive declaration around 1:00 AM today, with the Puteri Wangsa seat finishing as the last confirmed result of the night.

Within the victorious BN fold, Umno spearheaded the charge by sweeping 36 seats, while MCA achieved a significant resurgence with eight seats and MIC brought in four. In stark contrast, PH’s components suffered heavy contractions; DAP was reduced to six seats, while PKR and Amanah managed to salvage just one seat apiece. Opposing factions—including PN, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), MUDA, Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (ASLI), and a group of six independent candidates—failed to capture a single seat across the state.

Gathering with jubilant supporters at the Johor UMNO headquarters, Johor BN Chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi described the victory as a huge mandate from the people to continue serving them, engaging with the rakyat and resolving various issues for the well-being of Bangsa Johor. He stated that the landslide victory was a great trust bestowed upon BN, which it accepted with gratitude and humility.

The component performance showcased a complete clean sweep for MIC, which won all four of its contested seats via K. Raven Kumar (Kemelah), V. Rugendran (Kahang), P. Pannir Selvam (Perling), and R. Kumaran (Bukit Batu). MCA expanded its footprint by securing Yong Peng, Paloh, Bekok, Pekan Nanas, Layang-Layang, Tangkak, Jementah, and Johor Jaya. This surge came directly at the expense of DAP, which lost 11 of the 17 seats it contested, including its previous strongholds of Johor Jaya, Tangkak, Jementah, and Perling. Meanwhile, newcomer Bersama suffered a total wipeout, losing its electoral deposits in all 15 constituencies it attempted to contest.

Conceding the difficult outcome, PKR Election Director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari expressed appreciation to all Johoreans who had fulfilled their responsibility as voters and congratulated all the successful candidates. He affirmed that the setback would spur PH to “continue playing its role as a credible and principled opposition by carrying the people’s voice and offering solutions to unresolved basic issues.”

Perikatan Nasional, which held three seats going into the polls, failed to defend a single constituency. Among its high-profile casualties was former Johor Menteri Besar and state Bersatu Chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who lost his Bukit Kepong seat alongside losses in Endau and Maharani. Responding to the sweep in a post-election statement, Johor PAS stated that it respected and accepted the results with an open heart, and viewed them as a democratic expression of the people’s choice in determining the state’s leadership.

Individual high-stakes battles saw Onn Hafiz comfortably retain his Machap state seat in a straight fight against PH’s Nur Hafiz Roslan, securing 20,382 votes to cruise to victory with a commanding 15,375-vote majority. In Puteri Wangsa, former Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik secured a crucial breakthrough for PH, fending off a five-cornered fight against BN’s Teow Chia Ling, Bersama’s Nicholas Paul Vincent, MUDA’s Rashifa Aljunied, and Independent Wang Wee Seong.

The night also marked the return of former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, who successfully reclaimed his former two-term seat of Pasir Raja. All nine state executive councillors who were renominated managed to retain their respective state legislative seats. However, two sitting Members of Parliament failed to clear the state assembly hurdle, with Onn Abu Bakar losing in Senggarang and Suhaizan Kayat falling in Larkin to BN challengers. Making electoral history, Ayer Hitam UMNO Division Chief Datuk Samsolbari Jamali successfully defended the Semarang seat for a remarkable sixth consecutive term.

The highly charged state election saw a total of 172 candidates entering the political fray, anchored by 56 candidates each from BN and PH, 33 from PN, 15 from Bersama, four from MUDA, six Independents, and one candidate each from PSM and ASLI. The final voter tabulation represented a significant democratic exercise involving approximately 2.7 million registered voters who cast their ballots yesterday.