JOHOR BARU: In the final laps of the campaign trail, political parties are kicking into overdrive to hit the crucial voter turnout numbers needed for victory.
Johor MCA deputy chairman Ling Tian Soon expects voter turnout in the coming Johor state election to reach between 60% and 70%, up from 54.92% in the previous state polls.
Ling, who is also the MCA Youth chief and Barisan Nasional’s candidate for Yong Peng, said the estimate was based on feedback from the ground – particularly from older voters who said their children working outstation would return to cast their ballots.
“In the past few days, many senior citizens told me their children would be coming back to vote.
“So if you ask me, I think the turnout could be around 60% to 70%,” he said.
Ling noted improved travel conditions compared to the previous state poll, held during the Covid-19 period, could boost turnout.
“When we meet local elders and villagers, we usually ask whether their children are planning to come back.
“Some tell us that out of five children, three will return, while others say all their children will come home. From there, we can make an estimate,” he said.
Ling said DAP had often treated outstation voters as its “fixed deposit”, but he believes this practice is no longer the case.
He said many Johoreans working outside the state, including in Singapore, recognise the state government’s efforts, particularly in easing congestion at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link.
“I believe these outstation voters can feel the sincerity of the state government under Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and will return to support this team.”
Meanwhile, Johor Pakatan Harapan chairman Aminolhuda Hassan said that the 94% early voter turnout on Tuesday was an indication that there was a lot of excitement about the state polls.
“This is among the highest recorded for early voting in the state. If the same momentum continues, I am sure the overall voter turnout will be high on Saturday.
“We are hoping for the turnout to be more than 75% to enable us to make further inroads in the state,” he said.
Asked about the fact that Johor’s voter turnout has always been high except for the 2022 state polls, which were held during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said that the young voters wanted stability and would heed the Prime Minister’s advice for both the state and federal governments to be aligned with the same party.
He added in November 2022, the overall voter turnout was more than 70% compared to 54% during the state polls which were held in March the same year.
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said Perikatan Nasional believes many Johoreans want change, specifically a state administration that is more transparent, accountable, and responsive to public concerns. However, he stressed that these aspirations can only be realised if voters actually turn up at the polls.
He added that Perikatan would steer clear of campaigns based on slander or sentiment, choosing instead to focus on solutions to issues such as the rising cost of living, employment opportunities, affordable housing and balanced development throughout Johor.
