PAKATAN Harapan (PH) will place its governance record and future plans at the heart of its Negeri Sembilan election campaign as it aims to secure a stronger mandate by winning 20 of the state’s 36 seats.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke described the target as PH’s “best-case scenario”, saying the coalition would need 20 seats to secure a simple majority and retain control of the state government.
Speaking in an interview with Singapore-based media organisation CNA, Loke said PH would avoid divisive political rhetoric and instead focus on delivering a message of hope and continuity to voters.
“I want to run … a campaign of hope that things will be better,” he said.
The August 1 state election was triggered following the dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan Legislative Assembly after a political crisis involving 14 UMNO assemblymen who briefly withdrew their support for Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun’s administration before reversing their decision.
Loke, who has represented the Chennah state constituency since 2013, acknowledged that PH would face intense competition, particularly from BN and its component party MCA.
“I expect very stiff competition,” he said.
“My seat is very mixed, so I need to garner the support from both the Chinese as well as our Muslim voters,” he added.
The DAP leader said PH would not be distracted by attacks from political rivals, choosing instead to highlight its achievements in government, future policies and commitments to the people of Negeri Sembilan.
“We will be looking to run a positive campaign, try and talk about what we should do, what we can do, what we have achieved and what we can do for the people,” he said.
Loke said he would personally oversee PH’s campaign messaging and overall narrative throughout the election period.
“I will personally oversee the campaign and narrative,” he said.
Addressing criticism against DAP, Loke acknowledged that opponents were likely to continue portraying the party as a threat to Malay-Muslim interests and the institution of the Malay rulers.
However, he argued that such attacks were primarily intended to weaken PH’s other component parties contesting Malay-majority constituencies rather than affect DAP’s own support base.
“We are the punching bag and the bogeyman,” he said.
“This strategy and these tricks, to be honest, will not hurt the DAP in our constituencies. It will hurt our component parties (in PH that will contest in Malay-majority seats) … We contest in mainly non-Malay majority seats,” he added.
Meanwhile, Loke declined to comment on the ongoing dispute involving the Negeri Sembilan royal succession, saying the matter should be resolved within the royal institution according to established customs and laws.
“The royal crisis in Negeri Sembilan must be resolved within the royal institution based on the customs and the laws of the institution,” he added. - July 17, 2026
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