Johor Polls: PKR fields Indian candidate Subramani in Malay-majority Bukit Kepong state assembly

JOHOR BAHRU: For the upcoming Johor state assembly elections, the People’s Justice Party (PKR) has announced it will field candidates of Indian descent in two of the 16 constituencies it is contesting under the Pakatan Harapan banner. While the selection for the Layang-Layang seat aligns with conventional expectations, the party’s choice to field an Indian representative, Subramani, in the high-stakes battleground of Bukit Kepong has come as a surprise in local political circles.

Read more:
Onn Hafiz, can he retain BN’s 40-seat domination?

The decision has defied traditional electoral arithmetic, given that Bukit Kepong is an overwhelmingly Malay-majority seat, with Malay voters comprising 69.7% of the electorate. Historically, mainstream political parties have aligned their minority representatives with seats containing substantial concentrations of non-Malay voters. In stark contrast, Indian voters constitute only 2.7% of the electorate in Bukit Kepong, making Subramani’s path to victory a unique challenge.

Compounding the difficulty for Pakatan Harapan is the presence of former Johor Menteri Besar Datuk  Sahruddin Jamal, who is officially standing to defend the seat under the Perikatan Nasional banner. Sahruddin, a prominent Bersatu leader, has managed a tight but historical grip on the local electorate, winning consecutive terms in both the 2018 and 2022 state polls.

Read more:
Johor Polls: MIC fields 3 new faces!

While Sahruddin secured his previous victory in 2022 by a narrow majority of just 710 votes, his political stature as a former Menteri Besar grants him significant localised influence. Prior to the entry of PKR’s Subramani, the seat had exclusively elected ethnic Malay representatives to the state assembly.

Some in PKR may argue this is how the party establishes itself as a multi-racial party, being racially colour blind when it comes to the selection of candidates. However, given the current political scenario across the nation, one can’t find a viable strategy to field an Indian candidate in a constituency where only 2.7 per cent of voters are Indian, while the Malays make up almost 70 per cent, and other coalitions are expected to field Malay candidates.

Another factor that might work against Subramani is that Bukit Kepong falls under the Pagoh Parliamentary seat, a stronghold of Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin is said to have substantial support in Johor, and BERSATU, under his leadership, is contesting 16 state assembly seats on the Perikatan Nasional banner.

Despite the challenging odds, political analysts suggest a nuanced counter-strategy may be at play. Given that the previous victory margin was exceptionally thin, even the small 2.7% share of local Indian voters could assume a kingmaker role if they consolidated their support behind Subramani rather than dividing it among the Malay candidates fielded by the other two major coalitions. Ultimately, with other opposing political blocs expected to field Malay candidates, Subramani’s chances of winning the seat might be slim.