The Malaysian Insight

THE Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) is more well known among voters in Johor compared to other new parties that are also contesting in the state polls.

Apart from Muda, the other three new parties that are contesting for the first time in Johor are Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Warisan (Warisan) and Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

Rayan Yap, 23, admitted that apart from Muda, the other new parties are “alien” to voters like him.

“My peers are all talking about Muda. Some are volunteering and sharing their activities on social media.

“On social media, Muda dominates,” said Yap.

Yap is among more than 700,000 new voters in Johor who will be voting for the first time after the government lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 allowing for automatic voter registration.

The law student from Labis was also unaware of the existence of PBM, which was founded by Tebrau MP Steven Choong.

“Never heard of it,” he said.

PBM is standing in four state constituencies: Maharani, Tiram, Puteri Wangsa and Stulang.

Muda, meanwhile, is fielding candidates in Tenang, Puteri Wangsa, Larkin, Machap, Parit Raja, Bukit Permai and Bukit Kepong.

The party, led by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, will also be up against Pejuang, another splinter party of Bersatu, in all the seats.

Pejuang was founded by Dr Mahathir Mohamad after falling out with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin who took the party out of the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

Syed Saddiq, who chose to stand with Dr Mahathir at the time, however, set up Muda, a youth-based party.

Pejuang’s registration was approved in July 2021 while Muda the following December after issues with the Registrar of Societies was taken to court.

Split Malay vote

A voter in the Tenang state constituency, Zainuddin Md Punggot, 60, said Pejuang aimed to split the Malay vote by contesting in 42 seats.

He was cynical over the fact that Pejuang, a party with a weak machinery and a lack of grassroots, was able to so many candidates in the Johor elections.

“What is the basis of them contesting in so many seats, they don’t even have members, we don’t even know if they have party machinery.

“They just want to split the Malay vote… only that.

“Unlike Muda, which is with Pakatan Harapan (PH) sowe know what its direction is, parties like Pejuang dan Warisan have no chance,” Zainuddin said.

The Pejuang campaign has largely been based on Dr Mahathir’s message of the importance of voting for a clean government.

Dr Mahathir has written a series of open letters to Johor voters urging them to reject Barisan Nasional (BN), which he said protected kleptocrats, and Perikatan Nasional (PN) which was paving way for kleptocrats to return to power.

Trying luck

Meanwhile, Warisan leaders admitted it was hard for the party to shed its Sabah image.

Warisan was formed before the 14th general election and had governed Sabah for about 28 months.

Warisan is trying to expand its influence in the peninsula and is using Johor as a test ground.

Negri Sembilan Warisan deputy chairman K. Kannis, 56, admitted that apart from the difficulty of removing the party’s Sabah image, it also lacked the machinery to campaign.

“Warisan now wants to try their luck,” said Kannis who came down to help Warisan’s candidate Sandara Segaran Arumugam in the Bekok state constituency.

“It is true that Shafie Apdal once said Sabah is for the people of Sabah, but here we will make sure we will be the captain, not Sabahans,” he said, referring to the yacht emblem which is the Warisan logo.

An Indian Muslim restaurant owner who declined to be named said some of his friends also felt Warisan would lose their deposit in Bekok.

“It is impossible for Warisan to win, the machinery is not local people, all from outside.

They can pull a few votes, if there are Indian voters here they will vote for them, but to win, it is difficult.

“There are friends who are already taking bets that the Warisan candidates will lose their deposits,” he said.

Warisan also fielded their candidates in Pekan Nanas, Mahkota, Johor Jaya, Bukit Batu and Permas.

Apart from Permas, a seat held by Bersatu, the other five seats contested by Warisan are the seats won by PH in GE14.

According to the Election Commission, the polls feature 239 candidates from 11 political parties and Independents.

BN and PN are the largest coalitions contesting all 56 seats.

Amanah and DAP are contesting 30 seats and PKR, 20.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) fielded one candidate, Arangkannal Rajoo, a film director in the Kota Iskandar state constituency.

Parti Bumiputera Perkasa named Kamarolzaman Mohd Jidi, who is a former lecturer in the Semerah state constituency.

Independent candidates are contesting in six seats.

Almost 2.6 million Johor voters will vote on March 12. – March 8, 2022.