Layang-Layang: PKR fields Guna Balakrishnan!
Johor Bahru: Based on the recent candidate announcements for the Johor state assembly elections, PKR has revealed its strategic lineup for the 16 seats it is contesting under the Pakatan Harapan coalition. In a significant move to ensure minority representation, the party has allocated two specific seats for Indian candidates: Bukit Kepong and Layang-Layang.
While the selection for the Bukit Kepong seat features Subramani, the party’s choice for Layang-layang is Guna Balakrishnan.
The Layang-Layang state seat, which falls under the Simpang Renggam federal parliamentary constituency, has historically leaned toward the ruling coalition. During the 2022 state polls, Barisan Nasional’s Abdul Mutalib bin Abdul Rahim successfully captured the seat, succeeding the current Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Onn Hafiz had previously won the seat in the 2018 general election by a narrow margin of just 364 votes.
Traditionally, the constituency has been dominated by ethnic Malay representatives, mirroring its demographic composition, in which Malay voters make up 54% of the electorate, followed by Chinese voters at 32%.
However, Layang-Layang also possesses a substantial Indian voter base, comprising over 14% of the local electorate. With both Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional expected to field Malay candidates to capture the majority vote, PKR’s decision to field Guna Balakrishnan aims to heavily consolidate the non-Malay ballots.
The party remains optimistic that a strong turnout from the 14% Indian minority, combined with solid backing from the Chinese community, could be a crucial tipping point, swinging the marginal seat in their favour.
Pakatan Harapan has finalised four Indian candidates for the Johor polls. Aside from the two fielded by PKR, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) has also named two Indian representatives to contest under the alliance’s banner.
