(Seng Bangjiang, 13th) Sim Mu State Hua Zong President Datuk Dr. Ng Boon Seng stated that the results of the recent Johor state election are not only a local election, but also serve as an important political evaluation by the people of the unity government led by Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Pakatan Harapan’s seats dropped from 12 in 2022 to 8, with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) specifically reducing sharply from 10 to 6 seats, clearly reflecting the growing dissatisfaction among voters and sounding the alarm for Pakatan Harapan.
He said that Pakatan Harapan and its allies contested all 56 Johor state seats this time, but managed to retain only 8; among them, DAP kept only 6 seats, while PKR and Amanah each held onto 1 seat. Compared to the previous election, this is a decrease of 4 seats. Such results should not be downplayed, nor purely blamed on multi-cornered fights or local factors.
“The people have clearly expressed their stance with their votes. This is not only a warning to Pakatan Harapan, but also to the governance performance of the unity government.”
Ng Boon Seng pointed out that DAP has always been seen as one of the most influential and appealing parties in Pakatan Harapan, but in this election lost several original seats, including Lembingda, Tangkak, Permas, and Johor Jaya, indicating that even traditional supporters have started to drift away. This is a political signal that deserves deep reflection.
He said that during the 15th General Election, people supported Pakatan Harapan and the unity government in hopes of implementing institutional reforms, improving the economy, reducing the cost of living, enhancing administrative efficiency, and creating a cleaner, more transparent government. However, since coming into power, people have felt the continued rise in living costs, some policies have triggered widespread social controversy, and the pace of reforms has not met the earlier expectations.
“People are not demanding perfection from the government, but hoping to see promises truly fulfilled and serious efforts to resolve economic pressures and livelihood issues faced by the people.”
Ng Boon Seng said that a political reality Pakatan Harapan must face is that many citizens tend to directly blame Pakatan Harapan, especially DAP, for policies rolled out by the unity government that are viewed as unfavorable or that increase their burdens, while less often holding Barisan Nasional (BN) or GPS responsible.
He pointed out that in fact, BN and GPS are equally important components of the unity government and hold the largest number of federal ministers and deputy ministers, playing extremely important roles in cabinet decisions and the national administrative system, and are jointly responsible for government policies.
“However, in the eyes of the public, DAP has often become the main target for expressing dissatisfaction. This shows that people's expectations for DAP are higher than for other ruling partners, and also expect DAP to bear greater political responsibility.”
Ng Boon Seng believes that if DAP is unable to exert greater influence within the unity government, proactively push for policy adjustments, and demonstrate to the people that it is able to correct grievance-causing governance measures, then public dissatisfaction will continue to accumulate and ultimately be reflected at the polls.
He said that no ruling coalition can take the people’s support for granted, nor can it assume that past political glory will translate into long-term support.
“Today, only a few state seats are lost; but if the people's mounting dissatisfaction is continuously ignored, then in the next general election, more parliamentary seats—not to mention the foundation of governance itself—may be at stake.”
Ng Boon Seng stressed that the Johor state election has sent a very clear signal to Pakatan Harapan and the unity government: those in power must listen to the people with greater humility, review the direction of governance, speed up the fulfillment of reform pledges, and truly address issues such as the cost of living, job opportunities, economic development, and administrative efficiency.
“What the people really care about is not political slogans, but whether their lives have improved, whether the economy has seen progress, whether policies are fair and reasonable, and if the government truly puts the people first.”
He stated that this state election should not be regarded merely as a local contest, but as a crucial opportunity for the unity government to re-examine its governance direction.
“The people have already delivered a clear message with their ballots. If Pakatan Harapan does not face this setback seriously and remains in self-consolation, blame-shifting, or even refuses to carry out thorough reforms, then the next general election will surely pose an even greater challenge, and by then, the people will again use their votes to make the final decision.”
He said that Pakatan Harapan and its allies contested all 56 Johor state seats this time, but managed to retain only 8; among them, DAP kept only 6 seats, while PKR and Amanah each held onto 1 seat. Compared to the previous election, this is a decrease of 4 seats. Such results should not be downplayed, nor purely blamed on multi-cornered fights or local factors.
“The people have clearly expressed their stance with their votes. This is not only a warning to Pakatan Harapan, but also to the governance performance of the unity government.”
He said that during the 15th General Election, people supported Pakatan Harapan and the unity government in hopes of implementing institutional reforms, improving the economy, reducing the cost of living, enhancing administrative efficiency, and creating a cleaner, more transparent government. However, since coming into power, people have felt the continued rise in living costs, some policies have triggered widespread social controversy, and the pace of reforms has not met the earlier expectations.
“People are not demanding perfection from the government, but hoping to see promises truly fulfilled and serious efforts to resolve economic pressures and livelihood issues faced by the people.”
Ng Boon Seng said that a political reality Pakatan Harapan must face is that many citizens tend to directly blame Pakatan Harapan, especially DAP, for policies rolled out by the unity government that are viewed as unfavorable or that increase their burdens, while less often holding Barisan Nasional (BN) or GPS responsible.
He pointed out that in fact, BN and GPS are equally important components of the unity government and hold the largest number of federal ministers and deputy ministers, playing extremely important roles in cabinet decisions and the national administrative system, and are jointly responsible for government policies.
“However, in the eyes of the public, DAP has often become the main target for expressing dissatisfaction. This shows that people's expectations for DAP are higher than for other ruling partners, and also expect DAP to bear greater political responsibility.”
Ng Boon Seng believes that if DAP is unable to exert greater influence within the unity government, proactively push for policy adjustments, and demonstrate to the people that it is able to correct grievance-causing governance measures, then public dissatisfaction will continue to accumulate and ultimately be reflected at the polls.
He said that no ruling coalition can take the people’s support for granted, nor can it assume that past political glory will translate into long-term support.
“Today, only a few state seats are lost; but if the people's mounting dissatisfaction is continuously ignored, then in the next general election, more parliamentary seats—not to mention the foundation of governance itself—may be at stake.”
Ng Boon Seng stressed that the Johor state election has sent a very clear signal to Pakatan Harapan and the unity government: those in power must listen to the people with greater humility, review the direction of governance, speed up the fulfillment of reform pledges, and truly address issues such as the cost of living, job opportunities, economic development, and administrative efficiency.
“What the people really care about is not political slogans, but whether their lives have improved, whether the economy has seen progress, whether policies are fair and reasonable, and if the government truly puts the people first.”
He stated that this state election should not be regarded merely as a local contest, but as a crucial opportunity for the unity government to re-examine its governance direction.
“The people have already delivered a clear message with their ballots. If Pakatan Harapan does not face this setback seriously and remains in self-consolation, blame-shifting, or even refuses to carry out thorough reforms, then the next general election will surely pose an even greater challenge, and by then, the people will again use their votes to make the final decision.”