10,000 PN 'ghost' voters will be kingmakers in JB's Malay-majority seat
Alyaa Alhadjri
Published: Jul 5, 2026 7:00 AM
Updated: 10:39 AM
JOHOR POLLS | At a local breakfast spot in Bandar Baru Uda, an urban enclave under the Larkin seat in Johor Bahru, amid sips of iced tea and warm coffee, a hot topic stirred excitement: who would get the Perikatan Nasional voters this election?
Up until the week before nomination day, Larkin appeared to be cut roughly into thirds.
According to the 15th general election voting data, more than a third voted Pakatan Harapan, almost a third voted for BN, and slightly less than a third voted for Bersatu/PN.
But with PN sitting out the race this time, their entire slice of the pie is suddenly up for grabs - and the remaining contenders are starved for it.
Crucially, Bersatu’s absence could mean Malay voters are less split, which will benefit BN and disadvantage Harapan in a seat where 64 percent of the electorate are Malay.
With almost 10,000 PN supporters believed to be permanently residing in the constituency, these voters are crucial to the race.
But despite their numbers, after days of searching, Malaysiakini only met a smattering of voters who indicated they voted for PN in the last election.
In fact, a local Umno councillor who spoke to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity described the past Bersatu voters as “ghosts”, who would only make their presence known on polling day.
Published: Jul 5, 2026 7:00 AM
Updated: 10:39 AM
JOHOR POLLS | At a local breakfast spot in Bandar Baru Uda, an urban enclave under the Larkin seat in Johor Bahru, amid sips of iced tea and warm coffee, a hot topic stirred excitement: who would get the Perikatan Nasional voters this election?
Up until the week before nomination day, Larkin appeared to be cut roughly into thirds.
According to the 15th general election voting data, more than a third voted Pakatan Harapan, almost a third voted for BN, and slightly less than a third voted for Bersatu/PN.
But with PN sitting out the race this time, their entire slice of the pie is suddenly up for grabs - and the remaining contenders are starved for it.
Crucially, Bersatu’s absence could mean Malay voters are less split, which will benefit BN and disadvantage Harapan in a seat where 64 percent of the electorate are Malay.
With almost 10,000 PN supporters believed to be permanently residing in the constituency, these voters are crucial to the race.
But despite their numbers, after days of searching, Malaysiakini only met a smattering of voters who indicated they voted for PN in the last election.
In fact, a local Umno councillor who spoke to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity described the past Bersatu voters as “ghosts”, who would only make their presence known on polling day.
However, there are clues as to where their votes might be headed, at least among those who were Bersatu members.
Muhyiddin, Hamzah factors
Conversations with current and former Bersatu contacts indicate that the local party division appears to have collapsed in the split between Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin loyalists and those aligned to his former deputy Hamzah Zainudin.
The local Bersatu chief, Zulkifli Bujang - who came in second place for the Larkin race in the last state polls - has quit the party and is leading the Johor chapter of Hamzah’s Reset movement.
The collapse is likely the reason why Bersatu did not put a candidate in Larkin this time around despite its strong performance at the ballot box in both 2022 elections.
It also suggests that the bulk of Bersatu members in Larkin are aligned with Hamzah’s new outfit Parti Wawasan Negara and its patron PAS - and that they will follow the Islamist party’s directive to vote for BN in seats where PN is not contesting.
This theory is supported by observations at the Larkin flats, which in past elections reflected the voter split in the constituency.
Residents met by Malaysiakini overwhelmingly voiced support for BN incumbent Hairi Shah, citing various forms of state assistance under the BN-led administration.
READ MORE: Behind the narrative: Why 25 Johor BN seats are actually at risk
Met at her sundry shop on the ground floor of Larkin Flat, Ratna Bakhtiar, 52, said, “My hope is that the current situation is the best we have, we are taken care of by Hairi. Hopefully that will not change.”
However, she was quick to add, “Here you can see all the ‘blue’ but sometimes, suddenly, a voter may turn ‘red’.”
Businessperson Ratna Bakhtiar
Noting that there could be disappointment over Bersatu’s absence from the candidates’ list, she said, “People will vote for who they see, but you can’t know for sure how they truly feel.”
“We here have learnt a lesson from the previous state government before 2022. Now, Larkin Flat is more developed.
“Some people mock the MB as a ‘budak’ (child) but for us, no matter what, he came down to the ground here and asked what we needed.
“He made sure to monitor the progress and that all the promises of development are kept,” said Ratna.
Popular Hairi
It is a sentiment that is expected to be repeated in Larkin’s other Malay-majority polling districts, including Uda Malinja - where the cafe in Bandar Baru Uda is located. This is the district where PN won the most votes during the 2022 polls.
Even among those determined to see BN fall like Mustafa Awang, there’s an acknowledgement that Hairi is no slouch.
Noting that there could be disappointment over Bersatu’s absence from the candidates’ list, she said, “People will vote for who they see, but you can’t know for sure how they truly feel.”
“We here have learnt a lesson from the previous state government before 2022. Now, Larkin Flat is more developed.
“Some people mock the MB as a ‘budak’ (child) but for us, no matter what, he came down to the ground here and asked what we needed.
“He made sure to monitor the progress and that all the promises of development are kept,” said Ratna.
Popular Hairi
It is a sentiment that is expected to be repeated in Larkin’s other Malay-majority polling districts, including Uda Malinja - where the cafe in Bandar Baru Uda is located. This is the district where PN won the most votes during the 2022 polls.
Even among those determined to see BN fall like Mustafa Awang, there’s an acknowledgement that Hairi is no slouch.
Voter Mustafa Awang
“The Malays in (Uda Malinja) will likely side with BN, because Hairi is always around, unlike (Harapan candidate) Suhaizan Kaiat who is new here,” the 70-year-old said when met at the cafe, while another friend who declined to be named nodded silently.
Mustafa’s other friend - Abdul Rahman Hashim - echoed similar sentiments.
“Some voters may be satisfied with Hairi, especially those who have received a lot of assistance.
“For them, Bersatu is no longer a viable option, so they might as well vote for the current government,” he said.
Despite this, Mustafa believes that not all Bersatu supporters are ready to vote for BN.
Mustafa’s other friend - Abdul Rahman Hashim - echoed similar sentiments.
“Some voters may be satisfied with Hairi, especially those who have received a lot of assistance.
“For them, Bersatu is no longer a viable option, so they might as well vote for the current government,” he said.
Despite this, Mustafa believes that not all Bersatu supporters are ready to vote for BN.
“I think the swing is more likely to benefit Harapan because many people in Bersatu have fallen out with Umno,” he said.
Muhyiddin supporter Yazli Hussin, meanwhile, said PN’s infighting and PAS’ directive to vote BN in certain seats like Larkin have left him at a loss.
Muhyiddin supporter Yazli Hussin, meanwhile, said PN’s infighting and PAS’ directive to vote BN in certain seats like Larkin have left him at a loss.
Larkin residents Yazli Hussin with his wife
“Previously, Bersatu itself, under ‘Abah’ (Muhyiddin), had started to look like it was on the right track.
“But people began questioning the party again because of all the infighting.
“That left us wondering who we should support,” the father of 11 said while he was having breakfast with his wife.
However, there actually is a clear way forward for Muhyiddin's loyalists.
Bersama’s entry
When contacted, Johor Bersatu secretary Samsudin Ismail said that where there is no PN, the instruction is to vote "other than BN and Harapan".
And in Larkin, that leaves only Parti Bersama Malaysia aspirant Norsinah Abu.
Bersama is looking to make an impact at the ballot box on July 11, and appears determined not to rely solely on disgruntled non-Malay Harapan supporters.
But support from Malays for the kancil party is expected to be limited, with Rahman saying that they’ll likely find the most success with the youth.
“But people began questioning the party again because of all the infighting.
“That left us wondering who we should support,” the father of 11 said while he was having breakfast with his wife.
However, there actually is a clear way forward for Muhyiddin's loyalists.
Bersama’s entry
When contacted, Johor Bersatu secretary Samsudin Ismail said that where there is no PN, the instruction is to vote "other than BN and Harapan".
And in Larkin, that leaves only Parti Bersama Malaysia aspirant Norsinah Abu.
Bersama is looking to make an impact at the ballot box on July 11, and appears determined not to rely solely on disgruntled non-Malay Harapan supporters.
But support from Malays for the kancil party is expected to be limited, with Rahman saying that they’ll likely find the most success with the youth.
“Kancil relies heavily on the internet for its campaign, so it might be able to attract some support,” he said, referring to Bersama by its blue mousedeer logo.
Back at the breakfast table where the conversation began, even voters who shared similar concerns disagreed on where the state should be headed.
In a constituency where the former Bersatu vote has become the biggest unknown, those differing choices could prove decisive when Larkin voters head to the polls next Saturday.
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