PETALING JAYA: First-time candidates are making up a smaller share of aspirants vying for seats in the upcoming Johor election.
It marks the first decline after two consecutive elections that saw a sharp increase in the number of fresh faces.
A total of 53% of candidates contesting the upcoming Johor poll are taking part for the first time in an election.
The figure is down more than 15 percentage points from 69% in the 2022 state election and then 62% in 2018.
The latest figure marks the end of an upward trend that started after a historic low recorded in 2008.
New party Bersama fielded the largest number of first-time candidates, introducing 14 fresh faces.
It was followed by Amanah and PKR, with 12 newcomers each, while DAP fielded nine.
Bersatu, MCA and Umno each nominated seven first-time candidates.
An analysis of historical Election Commission data compiled by electiondata.my shows that the share of first-time candidates in Johor has ebbed and flowed over the past six decades, reflecting changing patterns in candidate renewal across election cycles.
A pronounced decline occurred in the 2008 Johor state election, when only 37% of candidates were contesting for the first time, the lowest proportion recorded since 1959.
The election took place against the backdrop of the "political tsunami", when Barisan Nasional suffered unprecedented losses nationwide, including the loss of its two-thirds majority in Parliament.
However, Johor remained one of the coalition's strongholds, with Barisan Nasional retaining a commanding majority in the state.
The relatively stable political landscape saw many incumbent assemblymen retained as candidates, contributing to the lower proportion of first-time contenders.
The trend reversed in 2013, with the proportion of first-time candidates rising to 55%, before climbing further to 62%
in the watershed 2018 election, when Pakatan Harapan captured Johor for the first time.
The upward momentum continued in the 2022 state election, when newcomers accounted for 69% of all candidates, the second-highest proportion on record after the inaugural 1959 election.
This was driven by the entry of new parties such as Pejuang and significant candidate turnover within established coalitions, including Umno.
The first Johor state election in 1959 recorded the highest proportion of first-time candidates, at 96%, reflecting the infancy of Malaysia's electoral system when almost every contestant was making their electoral debut.
The percentage gradually declined over the following decades as more politicians accumulated electoral experience, although newcomers continued to make up more than half of the field in most elections.
The first significant dip came in 1974, when first-time candidates accounted for 43% of contestants, before recovering to between 49% and 64% throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
By comparison, the proportion of first-time candidates in general elections has remained relatively stable over the decades, generally ranging above 40%.
However, it too recorded its lowest point in 2008 before increasing in subsequent elections.
