DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said a shift in support from Perikatan Nasional (PN) voters to Barisan Nasional (BN) was among the key factors behind BN’s overwhelming victory in the 16th Johor State Election.
He said voting patterns showed that a large portion of Malay voters had moved their support towards BN, affecting Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) performance in several constituencies.
"At the previous Johor election, we won because there was a three-cornered contest where we secured support from around 40 per cent of voters.
"However, the dynamics this time were different, with one-on-one contests. The vote transfer did not happen in our favour, but instead benefited BN candidates," he told reporters after launching the Kampung Angkat MADANI Programme 2026 by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) at Kampung Chennah.
Loke said the transfer of support gave BN candidates an advantage, resulting in DAP losing several seats it had previously won.
However, the Transport Minister said DAP still managed to secure strong support in the six state seats it won, particularly in urban areas.
"In the six areas where we won, we secured clear majorities of more than 50 per cent. This means we still have strong support, especially in urban constituencies.
"The Johor results are certainly disappointing for PH. However, every day is a new beginning, and today we start focusing on the Negeri Sembilan State Election," he said.
Loke, who is also DAP Negeri Sembilan chairman, said the outcome in Johor was not unexpected given BN’s traditionally strong support base in the state.
He said PH had made every effort to secure victory but respected the decision made by voters.
"We tried our best, and on behalf of DAP, we thank the voters.
"Although DAP only managed to retain six of the 10 seats it contested, our support pattern remains intact," he said.
BN secured a commanding victory in the Johor election, winning 48 of the 56 state assembly seats contested, while PH won the remaining eight seats.
Loke said the party’s machinery would now shift its focus towards the upcoming Negeri Sembilan State Election, with the aim of defending the state government.
He added that PH’s defeat in Johor would not necessarily affect voter confidence in Negeri Sembilan, as the political dynamics in both states were different.
"Of course, the political dynamics in Negeri Sembilan are different as PH is the incumbent state government and the Menteri Besar is from our coalition.
"Therefore, we will do our utmost to defend our seats because in the previous election we won 17 seats while BN won 14. Naturally, we have an advantage compared with them," he said. - July 12, 2026
