06/07/2026 02:10 PM

Johor Polls: Minor Parties Spice Up The Race, But Odds Of Disrupting Major Alliances Remain Slim - Experts

By Yasmin Ahmad Zukiman and Muhammad Saufee Rosman

JOHOR BAHRU, July 6 (Bernama) -- While the presence of minor parties in the 16th Johor state election is viewed as a healthy boost for democracy, offering voters more choice, their chances of disrupting the dominance of major political alliances remain small.

Analysts believe that despite the ability of smaller parties to spice up the competition in targeted seats and elevate overlooked issues, actual success at the polls boils down to organisational muscle, candidate popularity, and the voters' belief in their capacity to govern.

Senior lecturer at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia's (UTHM) Department of Social Sciences, Dr Nazreena Mohammed Yassin, said the entry of minor parties into the race highlights the country's increasingly democratic and competitive political landscape.

“Although their prospects of winning seats are slimmer than those of the main parties, their participation highlights the variety of choices available to voters, and brings attention to particular issues that might be neglected in the campaigns of the larger parties,” she told Bernama.

While minor parties may not scoop up enough votes to win outright, their performance could still impact the final result, particularly in hard-fought battles or seats with marginal majorities, she said.

Echoing these sentiments, senior political sociology lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Professor Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian noted that the entry of smaller parties and independents compels the political heavyweights to re-strategise, focusing more heavily on local grievances and voter turnout.

According to Sivamurugan, minor parties also have the potential to attract young voters and a segment of the undecided electorate if they can deliver a fresh narrative that resonates with those groups' aspirations.

“However, converting support into actual ballots remains a major hurdle, with many voters ultimately basing their decision on a party's electability, its grassroots machinery, and the calibre of its candidates,” he said.

Meanwhile, the head of research at the Ilham Centre, Associate Professor Dr Mohd Yusry Ibrahim, suggested that this state election will not provide the breakthrough minor parties such as Parti Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia (MUDA) and Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) are looking for, and points out that Perikatan Nasional (PN) likewise faces an uphill task to recover its political momentum.

While PN previously leveraged a spike in popularity after the 2022 Johor state election to secure strong results in the 15th General Election (GE15) and the subsequent six state polls in 2023, he argued that recent political dynamics leave the coalition looking less formidable ahead of the Johor polls.

“Frankly, PN’s campaign has collapsed before even getting off the ground. This isn't Kelantan, nor is it Terengganu. This is Johor.

When a coalition goes into an election on such shaky ground, it’s impossible for them to mount a serious challenge. There are simply no signs that they can put up a strong fight this time around,” he noted.

On MUDA, Mohd Yusry observed that the party has failed to cement its brand in the public consciousness, despite Johor being the movement's cradle.

He argued that because the public recognises MUDA founder Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman much more than the party brand, expanding its support base remains a major challenge.

As for Bersama, he said public response to the party remained lukewarm during the first week of campaigning, despite its successful use of digital platforms and social media to reach out to voters.

A total of 56 candidates each are being fielded by Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Johor polls, while PN has named 33 candidates, Bersama 15, and MUDA four.

Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (ASLI) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) are fielding one candidate each, with six independents also in the running.

Voters in Johor will go to the polls this July 11, following early voting tomorrow.

For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor.

-- BERNAMA

 

 

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