Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin admitted on July 7 that Perikatan Nasional (PN) may not be able to form the Johor state government following the July 11, 2026 election. He spoke at PN’s operations room in Parit Raja, stating PN must instead win enough seats to act as an effective opposition to provide parliamentary checks and balances on the state administration [1].
Muhyiddin emphasized the importance of monitoring the state government’s actions to prevent arbitrary decisions or unexplained spending. "This is where our role as checks and balances is important. The government cannot do as it pleases. They also need to explain how state money is spent if the matter is questioned in the state assembly," he said [1]. He warned voters against giving a party a landslide victory, cautioning that complacency could lead to broken promises. "If they win 40 seats, they will become complacent. They can afford to do nothing because the people already support them, and ultimately, the people get nothing," Muhyiddin added [2].
PN is contesting 33 of the 56 seats available in the Johor election, while Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan each contest all 56 seats separately [2]. Rumors suggest Barisan Nasional could win up to 40 seats [1, 2]. Muhyiddin ordered Bersatu party machinery to intensify efforts to persuade Malay voters to vote, noting Malay turnout was the lowest in the previous election. "I just hope that all of you will fulfil your responsibility to vote this coming July 11," he said during a Bersatu event in Parit Raja on July 7 [3].
Unlike other coalitions, PN did not release a manifesto for this election. Muhyiddin cited the effectiveness of his previous administration’s Covid-19 response as a reason. "When I was the prime minister before, there was no manifesto," he said [3].
The rising cost of living and increasing prices remain major challenges facing Johor and Malaysia. Muhyiddin acknowledged many households are struggling, stating, "Many people are still struggling to make ends meet. Their incomes are no longer keeping pace with the rising cost of living and increasing prices of goods" [4].
The Parit Raja state seat, where Muhyiddin held campaign events, is contested by PN’s Maliki Rapiee, Barisan Nasional’s Nor Rashidah Ramli, and Pakatan Harapan’s Shazwan Zdainal [1, 4, 5].
Early voting took place on July 10, with polling day held on July 11 across Johor to decide all 56 state assembly seats [4, 5]. Muhyiddin reiterated the need for PN to secure enough seats to serve as a robust opposition. "Even if we are unable to form the government, we still need enough seats so that we can serve as the opposition and carry out checks and balances," he said [5].
