BERSAMA, how will it affect voter sentiments in Johor?
Johor Bahru: With Rafizi Ramli taking the helm just two months ago, the conventional consensus is that the newly formed Bersama party is unlikely to secure an outright win in any seat in the forthcoming Johor elections. Should they manage to capture even a single constituency, it would be viewed as a monumental political upset.
Bersama’s Strategic Targets: 15 Contested Seats
Bersama is contesting 15 seats, and data suggest its primary impact will be to eat into opposition votes that traditionally go to PH, specifically diluting PKR’s base. Yet, a shift is happening among the youth. Young Malay voters who favour multi-racial politics, alongside a significant segment of young Chinese and Indian voters, are showing keen interest in Bersama. Furthermore, a faction of DAP and PKR members frustrated by the stagnation of the Reformasi (reform) movement appears to be pivoting their allegiance toward Rafizi Ramli’s new vehicle. Rafizi is now seen as the hope of the rejuvenated reformasi movement.
Perling: Can the MIC Candidate Pull Off an Upset?
Let us look at Bersama’s impact in some of the seats it is contesting. In Perling, MIC candidate Panneerselvam is flying the BN flag against DAP’s Allen Tee Boon Siong (PH). The race is further complicated by Bersama fielding Poo Wei Han. The demographic breakdown of the seat is 46.9% Chinese, 37% Malay, 13.3% Indian, and 1.5% others.
While Chinese voters form the plurality, their votes are expected to split between DAP and Bersama. This gives the MIC-BN candidate a viable path to victory, provided he consolidates the Malay vote and sweeps the Indian community votes, noting that he is the only Indian candidate in Perling which has 13.3% Indian votes. If Bersama successfully drains enough traditional DAP voters, MIC could capture a seat that DAP won by a comfortable majority of 3,347 votes last season.
Perling will become a shining example of how Bersama can disrupt Pakatan Harapan’s chances of retaining some of the seats it won in the 2022 elections.
Puteri Wangsa
Puteri Wangsa has become a focal point for political observers. In 2022, MUDA’s deputy president, Amira Aisya, won the seat by a margin of 7,115 votes with PH’s backing. She has now been elected President of MUDA. While she is sitting out this election, MUDA, without joining hands with any of the major coalitions, has fielded Sharifah Ashiqah as its candidate.
BN has deployed MCA candidate here, while PH is fielding former Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik. Though not officially declared, Maszlee is widely seen as PH’s poster boy for the Menteri Besar post if the coalition forms the state government. Meanwhile, Bersama has thrown Nicholas Paul Vincent into the ring. In this four-cornered fight, Nicholas is the sole Indian candidate in a constituency with a 9.9% Indian voter base, positioning him to consolidate minority Indian votes for Bersama and dictate the final outcome for the heavyweights.
Therefore, in all 15 seats Bersama is contesting, which coalition BN, PH or PN will suffer at the final tally will determine the choice of candidates and changes in strategies during the Negeri Sembilan state assembly elections scheduled to be held on 1 August 2026.
