KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong today said that the landslide win Barisan Nasional (BN) earned in the Johor state election was due to a lack of unity among Opposition parties.
He said it was time for parties in Pakatan Harapan to go back to the drawing board and re-strategise immediately.
The DAP strategist also expressed disappointment with DAP’s defeat in several state seats it had previously won in the 14th general election, namely, Yong Peng, Bekok, Pekan Nanas and Paloh.
Liew also predicted that a general election might be announced in the coming months, after the Johor win by BN had also gotten the “court cluster emboldened”, referring to several Umno leaders who are facing multiple corruption charges in court.
“The losses in Yong Peng, Paloh, Pekan Nanas and Bekok saddened me. I thank Alan Tee Boon Tsong, Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, Yeo Tung Siong and M. Kanan for fighting a good fight. I am particularly saddened by Tee’s loss, who left his relatively comfortable seat of Senai to contest in the marginal seat of Yong Peng and unfortunately could not make it.
“The election result is a lesson for all. Without coalition effect among the opposition parties, Umno-Barisan Nasional which is a singular entity dominated by Umno won. The greater Opposition needs to go back to the drawing board immediately.
“With Umno-Barisan Nasional winning a super-majority and the court cluster emboldened, a general election may be called in the next few months. The greater Opposition must ask ourselves the hardest questions and make major changes in order to rise again from the ashes,” he said.
Liew said that he had also spoken to Datuk Hasni Mohammad who is set to be re-appointed as Johor mentri besar, congratulating him over BN’s victory and pledging to be a constructive Opposition in policy making matters.
He said that the Opposition, to the best of its ability, would adopt a bipartisan approach for the wellbeing of Johor voters.
“As I stated in a brief press conference in Senai on election night, I would like to thank all Johor voters for supporting Pakatan Harapan (PH). I would also like to thank all DAP leaders, members, and supporters across the nation for their participation in this massive campaign.
“Before the campaign even started, it was known to almost everyone that this would be an uphill battle. Most pundits expected DAP to win between four to six seats. But I am extremely proud of our DAP leaders, members, and supporters at all levels. We don’t give up before a battle and we fight with courage, strategy, and a strong team spirit. Against all odds, we defended most of our seats, winning 10 out of 14 seats that we contested,” Liew added.
BN secured Johor with a super-majority, making a stunning comeback after being punished by voters in the 14th general election (GE14).
