KLUANG: Voter apathy and disillusionment among Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters contributed to lower turnout in the Negri Sembilan and Melaka elections, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.
He said the trend was particularly evident among DAP supporters and included fence-sitters who had previously backed PH but stayed away from polling stations.
Winning back their confidence and convincing them that PH remained the best choice was now a major challenge for the party, he said.
Some voters had become indifferent to politics, while others were disappointed or saw no reason to vote.
“This does not mean they never supported us. Some fence-sitters had previously voted for PH but did not turn out this time,” he told reporters after opening the DAP Johor annual convention today.
Loke said the decline was particularly evident in urban constituencies, including several seats in the Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency, which recorded some of the lowest turnout rates compared with rural areas.
On DAP’s performance in Melaka, he said the party retained all four seats it contested despite a strong challenge from Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), whose supporters had consolidated their votes.
He said the shifting of support between the two coalitions had posed a challenge, with PAS supporters backing BN candidates while BN supporters switched their votes to PN candidates.
Despite this, DAP retained all four seats, including the mixed constituencies of Kesidang and Ayer Keroh.
Loke said Ayer Keroh had been considered a high-risk seat for DAP by analysts because of its mixed electorate and the combined strength of BN and PN.
However, DAP retained the seat with a majority of more than 5,000 votes, securing 55 per cent of the ballots cast.
He said the result also demonstrated the party’s ability to attract Malay support, particularly among younger voters.
More than 40 per cent of Ayer Keroh’s electorate were Malays, with DAP securing more than 20 per cent support from the group, he said.
Loke said the result showed that consistent grassroots engagement and credible candidates could help the party win Malay support.