Improving on its previous election showing, Barisan Nasional (BN) secured a landslide win with 48 seats, marking its best performance since 2008 and retaining its supermajority.[2] The coalition made significant gains by flipping seats that had been held by Pakatan Harapan (PH) for more than a term (won between the period of 2013 and 2022 consecutively prior to defeat), namely Jementah, Tangkak, Johor Jaya, Perling (formerly known as Pengkalan Rinting) and Bukit Batu. PH faced severe losses, winning just 8 seats but gained the seat of Puteri Wangsa back from the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA). Perikatan Nasional (PN) suffered a wipeout, losing all seats in the state assembly, with state PN chairman and former Menteri BesarSahruddin Jamal losing his seat of Bukit Kepong, while PAS did not have any representation in the state assembly for the first time since 2004, the latter losing its sole stronghold seat of Maharani to UMNO (BN), in which it held between 2008-2018 and since 2022.[3][4]
Following the results of the election, analysts highlighted on the continued decline of non-Malay support for PH as contributing factors to BN's victory, with component parties the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) winning up to 8 and 4 seats respectively. Analysts commented that the slow pace and poor performance of national reforms under the PH-led federal government have caused discontent among many Chinese and Indian voters, who were once reliable support bases for PH, towards the coalition and particularly the Democratic Action Party (DAP). The collapse of non-Malay support had also caused devastating losses for DAP at the 2025 Sabah state election, which led to the party losing all contested seats.[5][6]
Constituencies
Electoral map of Johor, showing all 56 constituencies
The previous state election was held on 12 March 2022 following the dissolution of the 15th State Legislative Assembly. Barisan Nasional won a two-thirds supermajority, securing 40 of 56 seats.
Electoral system
A voter casts his vote at the Tanjung Puteri Primary School polling booth on voting day.
Elections in Malaysia are conducted at the federal and state levels. Federal elections elect members of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state elections in each of the 13 states elect members of their respective state legislative assembly. As Malaysia follows the Westminster system of government, the head of government (Prime Minister at the federal level and the Menteri Besar/Chief Ministers/Premier at the state level) is the person who commands the confidence of the majority of members in the respective legislature – this is normally the leader of the party or coalition with the majority of seats in the legislature.
The Legislative Assembly currently consists of 56 members, known as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), that are elected for five-year terms. Each MLA is elected from a single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post voting system; each constituency contains approximately an equal number of voters. If one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the government, with its leader becoming the Premier. In the event of a hung parliament, where no single party obtains the majority of seats, the government may still form through a coalition or a confidence and supply agreement with other parties. In practice, coalitions and alliances in Malaysia, and by extension, in Sarawak, generally persist between elections, and member parties do not normally contest for the same seats.
Party flags around the Larkin constituency on voting day.
Barisan Nasional is expected to defend its governing majority which it received in the 2022 state elections, when BN was returned to power by a supermajority. Pakatan Harapan aims to regain influence after losing control in 2020 due to the Sheraton Move. Notably, PH's loss in 2022 was partially caused by low turnout among non-Malay voters.
Perikatan Nasional may also expand its challenge in Malay-majority constituencies. After PAS cut ties with Bersatu, its local Johor branch decided to continue cooperation with Bersatu in Johor until cooperation was revoked shortly after the polls began.[11][12] Both Bersatu and PAS also explored cooperation outside PN, with Bersatu and MIPP negotiating an electoral pact with MUDA.[13] Meanwhile, PAS sought cooperation with BERJASA and PUTRA and allowed Bersatu breakaway Hamzah Zainuddin's party Wawasan to contest under PN.[14][15] As negotiations were concluding, all parties in PN except Wawasan but including Pejuang were allocated seats to contest under PN.[16] Gerakan decided to withdraw from the elections which led to the suspension of Gerakan's Johor chapter.[17][18] Far right parties BERJASA and PUTRA decided not to participate in the election, and PUTRA asked voters to reject BN.[19][20][21] Deputy president of PAS Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man later urged PAS supporters to vote BN in seats not contested by PN, followed by a broader statement from Hadi Awang not to vote for PH.[22][23] This was seen as potentially leading to an informal pact similar to the former Muafakat Nasional alliance.[24] Meanwhile, Bersatu did not offer any advise on how the party's supporters should vote.[25][26]
MUDA defended its only seat in Puteri Wangsa and decided to contest with Socialist Party under a Progressive Bloc.[27][28] Having broken away from PKR, the new Bersama party led by Rafizi Ramli contested this election as its debut election and as preparation for the next general election. It rejected any coalition talks.[29]Parti Rakyat Malaysia initially wanted to participate,[30] but cancelled their plan to contest.[31] The election was the first appearance of Parti Orang Asli Malaysia.
Seat negotiations among opposition parties are expected to play a major role in determining electoral competitiveness.
Dear You-related advertisements
On July 5, Pakatan Harapan advertised on Sin Chew Daily with a grandmother writing to her granddaughter to vote, in reference to Dear You, a popular 2026 Chinese film, which triggered Kuso Alliance, a supporter of Barisan Nasional, as well as Parti Bersama to make their own versions of advertisements.[32] This initiative aimed to mobilise Chinese voters living outside Johor, particularly those residing in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.[32] However, The Straits Times reported that local Johor voters remained unaffected by the campaign, with one Kulai resident describing PH's advertisements as "moral blackmail" that subtly pressured out-of-state residents to return home to vote.[32]
↑Includes the total vote share of PEJUANG, which joined PN in 2026. The actual seats and vote share of Perikatan Nasional in the last election were 3 seats, 24.04% respectively.
↑"A Young Malaysian's Guide to the Election". Juice. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018. You are not eligible to register if you are: a) on the qualifying date, you are serving jail term or detained as a person of unsound mind. b) before the qualifying date, you have been convicted or sentenced to death or serving a jail term of more than 12 months and you're still liable on the qualifying date. c) found guilty under the Election Offences Act, 1954. d) have a foreign citizenship (Malaysian citizenship law does not permit a Malaysian to carry dual citizenship).
↑Awang, Abdul Hadi. "Kenyataan Media PAS Pusat". Facebook. iv. Menyeru pengundi tidak memberikan undi kepada Pakatan Harapan, termasuk di kerusi yang menyaksikan pertembungan dua penjuru melibatkan Barisan Nasional dan Pakatan Harapan;[iv. (we) urge voters not to vote Pakatan Harapan, including in seats where two-way contests are involving Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan]
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