DAP’s defeat in Chennah should not be seen as a sign that Chinese voters have turned their backs on the party, said former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker, who pointed to the constituency’s mixed demographics and wider political trends behind the outcome.
Ti said DAP remained the strongest performer within Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Negeri Sembilan election, winning nine of the coalition’s 11 seats despite setbacks faced by its partners.
He said the party’s loss in Chennah, where secretary-general Loke Siew Fook was defeated after three terms, did not reflect a broader rejection among Chinese voters.
Loke lost the seat by 688 votes to MCA’s Siow Kong Choon in a straight fight. Chennah has a nearly balanced ethnic composition, with Malays making up 47.8% of voters and Chinese voters accounting for 42.6%.
Ti said while PH had clearly experienced a shift in voter sentiment, the change was not felt equally across all communities.
“The Chinese have not left DAP, but the party should not assume their support is guaranteed,” he said in a Facebook post.
The former deputy minister said PH’s main challenge remained winning greater acceptance among Malay voters, adding that DAP’s strong backing in Chinese-majority areas would not be enough on its own to keep the coalition in power.
He said many Malay voters still viewed DAP negatively despite the party’s role within PH alongside Malay-led parties such as PKR and Amanah.
According to Ti, changing that perception would take time as the party continues efforts under Loke’s leadership to present itself as a more moderate political force.
Loke became DAP secretary-general in 2022, replacing Lim Guan Eng, who had held the position for 18 years. – August 2, 2026
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