WHILE much of the attention following the Johor state election has centred on Barisan Nasional’s commanding victory and Perikatan Nasional’s collapse, political analyst Dr Azmi Hassan believes the coalition that suffered the most significant political setback was Pakatan Harapan component DAP.
The Academy Nusantara senior fellow said DAP’s losses were particularly alarming because they came in constituencies long regarded as the party’s traditional strongholds, signalling growing dissatisfaction among Chinese voters.
According to Azmi, the warning signs had already emerged during the Sabah state election seven months ago, but the party failed to respond.
“The biggest loser is DAP. This is their own doing,” he said.
“Since the Sabah state election, they have done nothing to address the concerns of Chinese voters. What we are seeing now in Johor is a continuation of that trend.”
Tangkak was won by DAP’s Ee Chin Li in both the 2018 and 2022 elections, making it one of the party’s established bases in Johor.
This time, however, the seat swung back to BN as MCA capitalised on a broader shift in Chinese-majority and mixed constituencies across the state.
In Perling, BN reclaimed Perling after MCA’s Loo Tze Tian defeated Pakatan Harapan’s Daniel Gooi Zi Sen of DAP by 1,468 votes.
Loo secured 11,357 votes, while Gooi garnered 9,889 votes, marking a significant swing back to BN in a constituency that DAP had held since the 2018 general election.
Azmi argued that many Chinese voters no longer feel DAP is adequately representing their interests despite being part of the federal government.
“They are in government, yet they continue behaving as though they are still the opposition. Chinese voters are asking what DAP has actually delivered for them instead of continuing with political rhetoric,” he said.
He described DAP’s defeats in Tangkak and Perling as particularly significant, noting that both seats had long been regarded as among the party’s strongest bases in Johor.
“I cannot believe they lost Tangkak and Bekok. These are DAP strongholds. Losing both should be a serious wake-up call for the party.”
Azmi said that although Bersatu and PAS were effectively wiped out in Johor, DAP’s losses could carry deeper long-term implications because they reflect erosion within the party’s traditional support base rather than defeat in marginal constituencies.
“In my view, DAP is the biggest loser, not Bersatu or PAS. They have shot themselves in the foot,” he said.
With the Negeri Sembilan state election expected in the coming weeks, Azmi said DAP has limited time to rebuild confidence among Chinese voters.
“There is still time for them to rectify the situation and rethink how they engage the Chinese community, but not much. Negeri Sembilan is approaching very fast.
“If they do not understand why Chinese voters are turning away, they risk seeing the same pattern repeated.” – July 12, 2026
