Johor Polls: PH Could Break BN's Grip On Tiram, Voter Turnout Decisive
By Hasnah Jusid
JOHOR BAHRU, July 8 (Bernama) -- Pakatan Harapan (PH)'s decision to field Nor Zulaila Abd Ghani for the Tiram state seat in the 16th Johor state election was widely seen as a high-risk political gamble.
At 38, Nor Zulaila found herself the target of criticism, particularly as it marked the first time DAP was contesting the Malay-majority constituency, long regarded as a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold, although PH, through PKR, won the seat in 2018.
Many regarded the bold move as political "suicide", given that nearly 60 per cent of the constituency's 117,000 registered voters are Malays and that the seat has been held almost exclusively by BN since 1959.
“If everyone wants a safe seat, then who is going to contest seats like this? So, I take the challenge. We are offering our service to the people of the Tiram state constituency,” said Nor Zulaila, private secretary to Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong, in an interview with Bernama.
The Lenga, Muar native, however, said her biggest challenge is not merely overcoming perceptions of DAP, but convincing voters that PH is capable of addressing the issues facing the people of Tiram.
Residents in the constituency continue to grapple with local issues, including peak-hour traffic congestion, the need to upgrade village roads and street lighting, improve basic amenities, and create more economic opportunities for the local community.
“We understand that traffic congestion is the main issue. However, if elected, I will spend my first 100 days focusing on smaller issues first, such as hawker permits, before turning to bigger challenges that require the cooperation of multiple parties,” she said.
On the Barisan Nasional (BN) side, the nomination of Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman, who is also a Dewan Negara senator, is seen as an effort to retain the coalition’s influence in Tiram by fielding an experienced political figure with longstanding ties to Tebrau.
A former Puteri Wangsa assemblyman for two terms and now Tebrau UMNO division chief, Abdul Halim said the Tiram state constituency is a large and diverse area encompassing urban and semi-urban communities, villages, fishing communities, Felda settlements and Orang Asli villages, requiring a balanced approach to governance.
He said he hopes to see a more structured master plan for Tiram’s development, involving the local authority, government agencies, developers, elected representatives and the local community before any project is implemented.
“I cannot do this alone. There must be discussions with the authorities and all relevant stakeholders. Before any approval is granted, I want the matter to be discussed at the state assembly representative level so that development can be properly coordinated and the views of the community taken into account,” he said.
On the traffic congestion issue frequently raised by residents, Abdul Halim said addressing the problem would require close cooperation between the state and federal governments, particularly where federal roads and major infrastructure projects are involved.
Meanwhile, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) candidate Dr Harith Fakhrudin Abdul Malek shared a similar view, saying traffic congestion and road safety are the two most pressing issues facing Tiram residents.
Dr Harith Fakhrudin said both issues are long-standing rather than new, having persisted for more than a decade and becoming increasingly burdensome due to the growing number of vehicles, poor road conditions and the movement of heavy vehicles in several areas.
For a resident of Kampung Sungai Tiram who only wants to be known as Farah, 34, Tiram is not an underdeveloped area. Rather, she said its development has not been comprehensive enough to keep pace with the growing population and increasing number of vehicles.
“Tiram is developing, but the progress is slow. Development is taking place, but the development plan is outdated and no longer suited to current needs,” she said.
She said traffic congestion in Tiram has also affected neighbouring areas, including Puteri Wangsa, as motorists seek alternative routes to avoid congestion along Jalan Tebrau and other main roads.
“More worrying is that heavy vehicles are using village roads and residential areas as alternative routes. Some of these vehicles are overloaded, dirty and pass through residential neighbourhoods. This poses a serious safety risk,” she said.
Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Mazlan Ali described Tiram as one of the key battleground seats where Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) are expected to face a closely fought contest. PH, through PKR, won the seat in 2018 before BN recaptured it in the 2022 Johor state election.
He said BN’s victory in 2022 should be viewed in the context of the low voter turnout, which was around 50 per cent and below 60 per cent, and should not be regarded as an absolute reflection of the coalition’s strength in Tiram.
Mazlan said this year’s state election is expected to see an interesting trend, with Chinese voters likely to turn out in greater numbers than in the previous Johor state election.
He attributed the expected increase to several current political issues that have reportedly alienated some non-Malay and middle-class voters, including cooperation between PAS and BN in several constituencies, as well as issues involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said if voter turnout in Tiram this Saturday (July 11) exceeds 75 per cent, PH could have a slight edge in wresting the seat back from BN.
Although BN recorded landslide victories in several elections, securing majorities of 74.6 per cent in 1995, 73.0 per cent in 2004 and 31.7 per cent in 2008, PH won the seat in 2018 with a 16.1 per cent majority before BN reclaimed it in 2022 with a 9.4 per cent majority. This, he said, reinforces the view that PH could spring a surprise in the constituency.
For the latest news on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/.
-- BERNAMA
| N40: TIRAM: 117,496 voters | ||||||||
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| (2022: Azizul Bachok: BN-UMNO: Maj: 5,281) | ||||||||
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