PETALING JAYA: The MCA staged a dramatic return to Negri Sembilan by winning two of the seven seats it contested in the polls with first-time election candidate John Siow Kong Choon ousting DAP secretary-general and Transport Minister Anthony Loke in Chennah.
Siow clinched 5,726 votes to defeat Loke (5,038 votes) who had held the seat since 2013.
In Repah, MCA's Koh Kim Swee unseated Pakatan Harapan incumbent Veerapan Superamaniam, winning 9,779 votes against his opponent's 9,335 for a majority of 444 votes
The MCA did not contest in the previous 2023 state polls.
In 2018, the party contested 10 state seats but did not win any.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong described Siow’s triumph as an “extraordinary victory”.
He thanked Negri Sembilan voters for their support and congratulated all winning Barisan candidates.
Commending Siow and Koh, he said they should carry the people’s voices to the Negri Sembilan state assembly and serve the public with dedication, integrity and sincerity.
The people’s welfare, he said, would always remain MCA’s top priority.
“To all Barisan Nasional candidates, especially those from MCA who were unsuccessful in this state election, remember that this is not the end of your journey.”
In a Facebook post, he said that holding public office was not the only way to serve the people.
Siow, on his part, thanked voters, campaign workers, volunteers and his family for their prayers, support and sacrifices throughout the campaign.
“Let us now respect the democratic process and await the official results,” he said in a Facebook post.
Koh, also known as Ah Swee, expressed his gratitude to voters, too.
“It has been a night filled with emotion and spirit. I would like to thank everyone.
“People of Tampin, let us work together to develop the hometown that we love,” he posted on Facebook.
MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon described the victory in Chennah as particularly significant, saying the constituency had long been a key target for Barisan.
He said the party had spent years preparing for the contest, with Siow steadily building his presence on the ground and serving all the communities before taking on one of DAP’s most prominent national leaders.
“John is an outstanding candidate. This result shows that consistent grassroots service is important.
“The same applies in Repah, where Koh is also well known among residents.
“There is no magic formula. It comes down to having the right candidate and doing the groundwork,” he said.
Under Barisan Nasional’s seat-sharing arrangement, MCA contested seven of the state’s 36 seats.
Besides Siow in Chennah and Koh in Repah, the party fielded Chong Fui Ming (Bahau), Datuk Alan Lai (Nilai), Datuk Leaw Kok Chan (Temiang), Yap Siok Moy (Rahang) and Pau Jeou Ching (Chuah).
