Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming warned that Pakatan Harapan leaders are in denial about growing anti‑PH sentiment, particularly among non‑Malay voters in Peninsular Malaysia, and suggested the mood could surface in the Johor state election this Saturday.
Ong told FMT at Menara Axis after the launch of the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement that the Johor result could trigger a similar wave in Negeri Sembilan and at the next general election.
He was responding to criticism of his recent projection that Barisan Nasional could achieve a landslide in Johor.
In a statement last Friday, Ong estimated BN might win up to 53 of the 56 seats, leaving PH with only three and Perikatan Nasional possibly without any seats.
DAP deputy secretary‑general Steven Sim dismissed Ong’s prediction as an assumption with no bearing on the ballot box.
Ong countered that BN had successfully consolidated its campaign message in Johor around state BN chief Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s leadership and a promise to bring experienced, credible leaders to run the state government.
Ong also noted that PH had not yet named a menteri besar candidate, a delay he said weakened the coalition’s narrative.
In the 2022 Johor state election, BN won 40 seats, PH 12, PN three and Muda one.
