KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council today said that it has identified weaknesses that led to the coalition’s poor performance at the Johor state election and is planning a convention to address them.
The council said the coalition will reset its plans in preparation for the 15th General Election (GE15).
PH said the multi-cornered fight for seats, including among Opposition parties, issues with representation and logos as well as a low voter turnout contributed to it winning only 12 out of the 56 seats.
“These weaknesses can’t be overcome or resolved by one. It has to be a collective.
“Several measures will be carried out including a convention and retreat among Pakatan Harapan leaders to revive the idealism of the coalition and its supporters' struggle and to discuss the preparations for the 15th general election," the council said in a statement this morning.
In the recently concluded Johor state election, BN won 40 out of the 56 seats, PH and PKR won 12 seats, Perikatan Nasional took three, while Muda won its first seat.
Warisan, contesting for the first time in West Malaysia, contested six seats but lost badly, garnering 0.47 per cent of the vote, or just over 6,500 ballots.
Part of the reason many felt PH lost was that Opposition parties were contesting with one another. Warisan contested in six seats that had other Opposition sides contesting as well.
The council said this scenario should not happen during GE15 as it will only further strengthen BN.
“Opposition parties should not contest only in PH constituencies as this will reduce votes for PH and indirectly benefit BN,” they added.
“The presidential council also insists that the anti-party hopping law should be approved as soon as possible in Parliament as promised by the Prime Minister,” they added.
Newly-elected Machap state assemblyman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was yesterday sworn in as the 19th Johor mentri besar after a swearing-in ceremony held at Istana Bukit Serene.
