PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia weighs its next round of polls, political analysts say holding simultaneous state elections in Melaka and Johor this year will benefit voters and election stakeholders alike.
Broadly aligned in that such a timing would be ideal, they, however, advised against reading too much into the ongoing political infighting when assessing the electoral landscape, referring to the Perikatan Nasional-Bersatu turmoil.
Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (left) acknowledged that there was no immediate urgency for Melaka and Johor to dissolve their respective state assembly with both still holding mandates until late this year and 2027.
However, he said 2026 would be a more rational window for state polls, giving the unity government more time to highlight policy delivery and internal cohesion.
“From an institutional and voter perspective, holding the two state elections together makes more sense,” he said, citing lower costs, reduced voter fatigue and clearer political messaging.
Sivamurugan said dissatisfaction among voters did not automatically translate into support for rival coalitions, as there will be those who could choose to abstain.
“Dissatisfied voters do not always switch sides, they may just stay home,” he said when contacted.
On Perikatan’s internal disputes, he said assuming such divisions would benefit the government is inaccurate, pointing out that electoral outcomes hinged more on performance than political timing.
He also spoke against drawing parallels with Sabah’s recent state polls due to what he termed as fundamentally varying political dynamics.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan (right) agreed that 2026 appeared to be the most realistic time frame for simultaneous state polls.
He said the narrow gap between Melaka’s and Johor’s mandates – estimated at between two and three months – strengthened the case for holding their state polls simultaneously, especially if the anticipated timeline for the 16th General Election remains uncertain.
Azmi felt that at this point, Melaka and Johor were considered relatively solid for Barisan Nasional based on recent state election trends.
He agreed that using the Sabah polls outcome as a benchmark would not be wise, saying any post-mortem from the November polls there should not be transposed onto peninsula politics.
He said internal deliberations within Umno, including discussions at its coming general assembly, could provide clearer signals on when state leaders might view dissolution as strategically favourable.
Azmi expected discussions on the Melaka and Johor state polls at the Umno annual gathering, adding that an estimate could emerge on when the top leaders thought would be the best time to dissolve both state assemblies.
Universiti Malaya senior lecturer Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said simultaneous Melaka and Johor state elections would have clear logistical and financial advantages for the Election Commission and political parties, given the geographical proximity of both states.
“It reduces the burden of repeated election cycles and helps avoid prolonged political fatigue,” he said.
Tawfik also stressed that Sabah’s election results should not be used as a barometer for performance in the peninsula, citing differences in sentiment, issues and demographics.
He said delaying the state elections too long could weaken the unity government’s strategic position, with Bersatu, PAS and Perikatan grappling with internal challenges.
The last Melaka state election was held during the Covid-19 pandemic in November 2021, with the Barisan winning 21 seats and remaining seven seats going to Pakatan Harapan (five) and Perikatan (two).
The last Johor polls was held in March 2022, with Barisan in a landslide victory with 40 of the 56 seats up for grabs.
