Leaders in denial over growing anti-PH sentiment, says Kian Ming

PETALING JAYA: Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said today Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders are in denial over growing sentiment against the coalition, especially among non-Malay voters in Peninsular Malaysia.

He said they had yet to experience the “wave of anti-PH sentiment”, which he predicted would emerge in the Johor election this Saturday.

“It may lead to another wave in Negeri Sembilan and in the next general election,” he told FMT at Menara Axis here today after the launch of University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement.

The former DAP central leadership member was responding to criticism of his recent projection that Barisan Nasional (BN) would secure a landslide victory in Johor.

In a statement last Friday, he said BN would win up to 53 of the 56 seats up for grabs, with PH taking only three and Perikatan Nasional possibly failing to win any.

DAP deputy secretary-general Steven Sim later dismissed the prediction as merely an assumption, saying it had no bearing on the outcome at the ballot box.

However, Ong said BN had managed to consolidate its campaign narrative in Johor around state BN chief Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s leadership and “how they want to bring credible and experienced leaders to lead the state government”.

He also reiterated that PH had yet to name its menteri besar candidate, which he suggested had weakened the coalition’s narrative.

In the 2022 state election, BN won 40 seats, followed by PH (12), PN (three), and Muda (one).