LIVE | BN supporters chant 'bubar Parlimen'
The Johor legislative assembly election has concluded and the results are being tallied.
This live report will provide updates on the results as they are announced.
6.00pm: All polling centres in the Johor polls have officially closed.
The respective party leaders are now heading to their command centres where they will hold a parallel tally to the Election Commission's (EC)...
LIVE | The Johor legislative assembly election has concluded and the results are being tallied.
This live report will provide updates on the results as they are announced.
12.35pm: This concludes Malaysiakini's live coverage of the Johor election tallying process.
Support our efforts by subscribing to Malaysiakini here.
The reports throughout the election campaign were brought to you by Hariz Mohd, Ng Xiang Yi, Alyaa Alhadjri, Fion Yap, Shakira Buang, Alena Nadia, Vivian Yap, Baharudin Suarnur, Mukhriz Hazim, Azneal Ishak and Hailey Chung.
Malay voters baited with race issues, says Harapan
12.20am: Pakatan Harapan claims the lack of support in Malay-majority areas is due to its opponents using the racial card.
“This is something that we need to check and take action on,” says Johor Harapan chief Aminolhuda Hassan.
“If these issues continue to be played up, it will not bring about any positive outcome for the future. So we will not use racism (to bag votes),” he adds.
Aminolhuda was speaking to reporters in Senai after reading a joint statement by Harapan parties.
The coalition admits that its performance in the state election, where it won only 13 seats compared to 36 in the 2018 national polls, is nothing to be proud of.
A post-mortem will be conducted to address the shortcomings.
Aminolhuda, who lost the Parit Yaani seat to BN by a mere 249 votes, confirms that DAP won 10 seats whereas PKR, Muda and Amanah won a single seat each.
Results breakdown
12.15am: The results breakdown is as follows:
BN seats:
Buloh Kasap (Umno)
Pemanis (Umno)
Kemelah (MIC)
Tenang (Umno)
Bekok (MCA)
Bukit Pasir (Umno)
Gambir (Umno)
Serom (Umno)
Bukit Naning (Umno)
Sungai Balang (Umno)
Semerah (Umno)
Sri Medan (Umno)
Yong Peng (MCA)
Semarang (Umno)
Parit Yaani (Umno)
Parit Raja (Umno)
Senggarang (Umno)
Rengit (Umno)
Machap (Umno)
Layang-layang (Umno)
Mahkota (Umno)
Paloh (MCA)
Kahang (MIC)
Tenggaroh (MIC)
Panti (Umno)
Pasir Raja (Umno)
Sedili (Umno)
Johor Lama (Umno)
Penawar (Umno)
Tanjung Surat (Umno)
Tiram (Umno)
Permas (Umno)
Larkin (Umno)
Kempas (Umno)
Kota Iskandar (Umno)
Bukit Permai (Umno)
Benut (Umno)
Pulai Sebatang (Umno)
Pekan Nanas (MCA)
Kukup (Umno)
Final tally: BN 40, Harapan 12, PN 3, Muda 1
11.55pm: Based on the official count, the most likely outcome composition of the 15th Johor legislative assembly is as follows:
BN - 40
Pakatan Harapan - 12
Perikatan Nasional - 3
Muda - 1
Umno alone will have 33 seats. It can rule the state on its own even without its BN allies MCA and MIC which won four and three seats respectively.
The results are a major boost for MCA which did not win any seats in 2018.
This election was a massacre for Harapan. Component parties Amanah and PKR won only one seat each, down from nine and five respectively previously. DAP won 10 seats, down from 14 in 2018.
Over at PN, Bersatu, which won eight seats in 2018, is left with only two while their allies PAS won one.
PN admits defeat
11.45pm: Taman Scientex, Senai - Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin in a press conference admits defeat in the state election, and says that the coalition accepts the decision made by Johor voters who want BN to lead the state.
Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, also says that he is taking responsibility for the coalition's defeat, and is ready to resign from his post if that is what the component parties want.
"I am ready to resign at any time if the party decides that I should go. Because I am holding the post based on the endorsement of my friends in the PN leadership.
"If they want to replace me, I accept it. We practise a progressive system. It is not my decision but should be the decision of the leaders of all PN component parties," he tells reporters in response to a question on whether he is willing to step down over PN's dismal performance in the state election.
Muda picks up one seat, Johor Amanah chief falls short
11.35pm: Muda picks up the Puteri Wangsa seat, its first and only seat in the Johor polls.
Meanwhile, Johor Amanah chief Aminolhuda Hassan loses his Parit Yaani seat by 294 votes to BN.
Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub manages to hold on to his Simpang Jeram seat, to clinch his party's only seat in this election.
PKR also wins only one seat.
Unofficial: BN secures supermajority
11.25pm: Malaysiakini projects that BN will secure a two-thirds majority in the Johor state assembly.
Based on a combination of official and unofficial tallies, BN already has at least 38 seats, the threshold needed for a supermajority.
BN is expected to pick up a few more seats in the 56-member state assembly.
PN captures Maharani from Harapan
11pm: Perikatan Nasional (PN) has wrested the Maharani seat in Muar from Pakatan Harapan.
In a turn of events, PAS' Abdul Aziz Talib won the seat with a 1,037 vote majority.
Incumbent Nor Hayati Bachok from Amanah comes in second with 6,522 votes, followed by BN with 5,861 votes.
In the 2018 general election, PAS was in last place in Maharani. They previously held the seat in 2008 and 2013.
BN takes two of three seats in Muhyiddin's base
10.57pm: BN has narrowly captured Bukit Pasir, one of the two state seats under the Pagoh parliamentary seat. Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is the Pagoh MP.
BN's Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh wins the seat with only a 198-vote majority.
He received 6,048 votes to Perikatan Nasional's 5,850 votes. Pakatan Harapan came in third with 4,676 votes.
Independent candidates Najib Lep and Johar Siraj received 1,860 and 207 votes respectively. Pejuang came in last with 196 votes.
PN managed to retain the other state seat within Pagoh, namely Bukit Kepong where it won by 710 votes. The incumbent is former Johor menteri besar Sahruddin Jamal.
PN also lost in neighbouring Gambir. BN captured the seat with a 3,146-vote majority.
Muhyiddin is the incumbent but did not defend the seat.
Muda’s Tenang candidate apologises for defeat
10.50pm: Muda vice-president Lim Wei Jiet apologises to the party and its supporters for his defeat in Tenang.
However, Lim says that he is still proud of the team's achievement thus far.
"I apologise for not being able to win Tenang for Muda.
"But this is the first time that we have contested in an election, especially in a rural seat and at Felda areas which are generally BN strongholds.
"I am proud of our team's progress in Tenang. It has been an honour," he tweeted.
Muda wins Puteri Wangsa
10.40pm: Muda Operations Centre, Johor Bahru - Muda’s Amira Aisya Abd Aziz wins Puteri Wangsa and the party is also keeping its deposit in all seven seats.
She won with a majority of over 8,000 votes and is the only one to obtain a seat from her party.
Amira thanks her team for helping her in the campaign.
"This is not the end of the race, but this is the beginning for me to serve the people in Puteri Wangsa," she said.
Party president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman reminds Amira to work hard so the new party can stand a chance in other elections.
He also thanks Johor voters for giving Muda a chance.
10.30pm: Perikatan Nasional (PN) bags a surprise win in Endau, wresting the seat from BN.
To date, it is the only BN incumbent seat that has been lost.
Ilham Centre had singled out the seat as a constituency to watch for due to the candidate factor.
Endau is a state seat under the Mersing parliamentary constituency whose MP, Abd Latiff Ahmad, defected from Umno to Bersatu.
PN's Alwiyah Talib wins the seat with a strong 3,041-vote majority.
She received 8,433 votes to BN's 5,392 votes, Harapan polled 1,154 votes, while Pejuang obtained 145 votes. An independent candidate received 77 votes.
This is the second seat PN has won.
Unofficial: BN wins simple majority
10.21pm: Malaysiakini projects BN has won a total of 28 seats, the threshold needed for a simple majority to form the Johor government.
Coupled with the number of seats where the votes are still being counted but BN is leading, the coalition stands a realistic chance of getting the coveted two-thirds majority.
A total of 38 seats are needed for a supermajority.
Puad Zarkashi back in office
10.20pm: Puad Zarkashi retains the Rengit state seat for BN, albeit with a lower vote share compared to 2018.
According to the unofficial count, Puad has won the seat with 7,890 votes. The runner-ups are PN-Bersatu's Mohammad Huzair Lajis (5,851) and Pakatan Harapan-PKR's Khairuddin A Rahim (1,996).
Puad replaces four-term Rengit assemblyperson Ayub Jamil.
The 64-year-old is an appointed member of the Umno supreme council and a key backer of former premier Najib Abdul Razak.
He was deputy education minister between 2009 and 2013 and was once the head of the Jasa propaganda unit during the Najib administration.
BN supporters chant 'bubar Parlimen'
10.18pm: BN Command Centre - A group of BN supporters chants "Bubar Parlimen! (dissolve Parliament)" when Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announces BN's victories based on unofficial results.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob passes through the crowd into a holding room where top BN leaders are gathered.
Wan Saiful tightlipped amid PN's dismal performance
10.15pm: Taman Scientex, Senai - Perikatan Nasional (PN) information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan declines to comment when reporters approach him, saying the coalition is waiting for the official results.
However, he says PN is aware of the situation based on unofficial results, which show BN with a commanding lead over the other parties.
He adds that PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin will hold a press conference later.
PN wins Bukit Kepong
10.10pm: Perikatan Nasional (PN) has picked up its first seat of the election in Bukit Kepong.
It is one of the state seats within the parliamentary seat of Pagoh, where Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin is the MP.
The other seat is Bukit Pasir, which is presently too close to call as BN has a thin lead of 188 votes.
In Bukit Kepong, PN is ahead with 847 votes.
These two seats, along with Gambir, are considered under Muhyiddin's sphere of influence.
PN lost Gambir with a majority of over 2,000 votes. Muhyiddin was the incumbent but did not defend the seat.
Media members rush to PN operations room
10pm: Taman Scientex, Senai - Media members who were initially invited to wait for Perikatan Nasional (PN) press conference at Impiana Hotel rush to the party's operations room where its leaders are conferring.
The mood is quite sombre at this location as some 100 PN members and election workers sit in front of a big screen showing a scoreboard, which appears to have not been updated with the latest unofficial polling results.
Kit Siang: Another week of campaigning would have given Najib a 'slap'
9.50pm: After conceding that DAP lost four seats in the Johor polls, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang launches a broadside on his favourite target – former premier Najib Abdul Razak.
He claims DAP and Pakatan Harapan would have won more seats and denied BN a two-thirds majority if they had an additional week of campaigning.
“This would have been a slap in the face for Najib,” he adds.
The extra week, he says, would have allowed DAP and Harapan to convince voters “not to allow a kleptocrat to return as prime minister”.
“An extra week would have made all the difference,” he tells the media at the Harapan tallying centre in Senai.
Meanwhile, Lim also congratulates Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong for winning the Perling seat and thanks him for his leadership during a difficult period.
The veteran politician also lauds the party's candidate for Yong Peng, Alan Tee Boon Tsong, for volunteering to contest in a “dangerous seat”.
Earlier, MCA declared victory in Yong Peng, which was controlled by DAP for two terms.
Latest seats won
9.45pm: Here's the current state of the counting process.
Seats that have been won:
BN: Pemanis, Tenang, Bekok, Gambir, Bukit Naning, Semerah, Sri Medan, Parit Raja, Machap, Layang-layang, Paloh, Kahang, Bukit Permai, Benut, Pekan Nanas, Kukup, Tanjung Surat, Yong Peng and Permas.
Pakatan Harapan: Bentayan.
Seats that have yet to be won but the respective parties are leading:
BN: Buloh Kasap, Kemelah, Bukit Pasir, Serom, Sungai Balang, Semarang, Senggarang, Rengit, Mahkota, Tenggaroh, Panti, Pasir Raja, Sedili, Johor Lama, Penawar, Tiram, Larkin, Kempas, Kota Iskandar and Pulai Sebatang.
Harapan: Jementah, Parit Yaani, Penggaram, Mengkibol, Johor Jaya, Stulang, Perling, Skudai, Bukit Batu and Senai.
Muda: Puteri Wangsa.
Perikatan Nasional: Bukit Kepong, Maharani and Endau.
BN wants recount for Bukit Batu
9.40pm: Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan says BN has requested for a recount in Bukit Batu where its candidate, Kulai MIC chief S Suppayah, lost to PKR's Arthur Chong with a 115-vote majority.
Chong polls 9,417 votes to Suppayah's 9,302 votes. PN has received 4,011 votes while Warisan trails with 1,349 votes.
Maszlee Malik defeated in Layang-Layang
9.32pm: PKR's Maszlee Malik has been defeated in Layang-Layang.
With around 90 percent of the votes counted, BN has emerged with 7,309 votes.
Maszlee is in a distant second with 4,613 votes followed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) at 1,213 votes. Pejuang has received 168.
The incumbent is BN but PKR had fielded a high-profile candidate in a bid to capture the seat.
Maszlee is the Simpang Renggam MP. Layang-Layang is a state seat within Simpang Renggam.
The other state seat is Machap, which BN has also retained.
PKR loses two seats to BN
9.28pm: PKR loses the state seats of Bukit Naning and Semerah, which it won in 2018, to BN.
This means BN has recaptured 10 seats which it lost in the last general election.
In another development, BN also retains Parit Raja and Machap.
BN wrestles back eight seats
9.20pm: BN has so far recaptured eight seats won by Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 general election. This includes the ones Bersatu won when it was part of the coalition.
They are: Tenang (Bersatu), Bekok (DAP), Gambir (Bersatu), Yong Peng (DAP), Paloh (DAP), Bukit Permai (Bersatu), Pekan Nanas (DAP) and Pemanis (PKR).
In another development, BN retains Sri Medan while DAP keeps its seat of Bentayan.
PN venue sees no sign of coalition leaders
9.15pm: Impiana Hotel, Senai - A banquet hall booked by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to host voting results and press conferences is still quiet without the presence of any party leaders.
With the exception of a number of party officials and media members who are on standby at the venue, no candidates or supporters have arrived as of yet.
The main screen at the hall also does not show any rolling updates of votes, while two side screens show a live feed from Astro Awani.
Several party officials say that PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin will come to the hotel later, where he might hold a press conference.
BN retains Kahang, takes Tenang
9.10pm: Malaysiakini projects BN has retained Kahang, which is represented by MIC.
BN is also projected to win Tenang which was previously held by Bersatu.
Even though Bersatu was the incumbent, Muda came out ahead of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
At the time of writing, BN garnered 6,532 votes to Muda's 4,667 votes and PN's 3,997 votes. Pejuang received 259 votes.
There's around 10 percent of the votes left to count but not enough to close the gap.
DAP loses third seat to MCA
9pm: DAP loses the state seat of Paloh which was previously held by its sole Malay incumbent Sheikh Omar Ali.
In total, DAP has ceded Paloh, Pekan Nanas and Yong Peng to MCA. All three are semi-rural seats.
"To date, MCA has won Yong Peng (Ling Tian Soon), Pekan Nanas (Tan Eng Meng) and Paloh (Lee Ting Han)," says MCA president Wee Ka Siong.
'I didn't disappoint you,' Ah Soon tells dad after defeating DAP
8.45pm: MCA Operation Centre, Yong Peng - MCA candidate Ling Tian Soon declares victory in the Yong Peng seat, which was a DAP stronghold for two terms.
Speaking to some 200 supporters, Ling, who is fondly known as Ah Soon, vows to serve his constituents regardless of who they voted for.
“I would not have come so far without your support. Ah Soon has been with you for the past 12 years, in the future, Ah Soon will still be with you.
“…Dad, I did not disappoint you,” he adds.
Meanwhile, DAP candidate Alan Tee apologises to his supporters.
“Unfortunately, I only won over 6,000 votes, the majority was over 2,000 votes.
“I would like to congratulate Ah Soon, but don't get too excited. I'll spend most of my time in Yong Peng monitoring everything you do for the sake of check and balance,” he says.
PM arrives as BN continues to lead
8.57pm: BN Command Centre - Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob arrives as BN continues to keep its lead in over 40 seats.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announces the informal victory of BN's MB candidate Hasni Mohammad in Benut with a 5,739 majority.
Supporters on site include those from BN components MCA and MIC, as well as Friends of BN, Kimma and Malaysia Makkal Sakthi party.
Umno leaders from other states also continue to arrive including Perlis Umno chief Azlan Man.
BN takes Muhyiddin's former seat Gambir
8.55pm: Malaysiakini projects BN has won Gambir, where the incumbent is Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin did not defend the seat and the task was left to PN's Mohd Solihan Badri. His opponents were Pejuang's Suraya Sulaiman, BN's Sahrihan Jani and PKR's Naim Jusri.
At the time of writing, BN garnered 6,947 votes to PKR's 4,477 votes and PN's 4,264 votes. Pejuang received 148.
With a lead of over 2,000 votes and more than 90 percent of the votes counted, there aren't enough votes left to close the gap.
Muda loses early lead, neck and neck in Puteri Wangsa
8.50pm: Muda loses its early lead against BN in several seats, but it's still a tight race.
In Puteri Wangsa - which many expected to be a sure win for Muda - the youth party is neck and neck against BN.
Muda leads with a slim 94 vote majority, with 10,244 votes and BN has 10,150 votes.
In Tenang, Muda is trailing BN’s 1,082 votes, while it is trailing BN by around 4,000 votes in Bukit Permai.
The party is in third place in Bukit Kepong, Parit Raja, and Larkin.
MCA declares victory in Yong Peng
8.27pm: MCA claims victory in Yong Peng.
This is the second seat MCA wrested from DAP, after Pekan Nanas.
MCA’s candidate Ling Tian Soon is ahead with 8,611 votes while DAP has 6,435 votes. PN received 1,437.
It is projected to win with a majority of more than 2,000.
Incumbent MB keeps Benut
8.23pm: Incumbent Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad retains Benut comfortably.
With more than 80 percent of the votes counted, Hasni has a 4,801-vote majority.
There is no longer enough votes for his rivals to catch up.
This is BN's third win.
BN picks up Kukup, Pekan Nanas
8.18pm: Malaysiakini is projecting that DAP will lose its incumbent seat of Pekan Nanas.
At the time of writing, MCA is ahead with a 4,022-vote majority.
With more than 85 percent of the votes counted, Malaysiakini estimates that there are not enough votes left to close the gap.
Malaysiakini projects that BN will also retain Kukup. Umno's majority of 7,247 at the time of writing is unassailable.
Both state seats are under the parliamentary constituency of Tanjung Piai which BN won in the 2019 by-election.
BN ahead in 30 seats, Harapan in 11
8.15pm: Here's a quick wrap-up of the counting process on who's leading where.
Pakatan Harapan is ahead in 11 seats namely Jementah, Tangkak, Bentayan, Parit Yaani, Penggaram, Mengkibol, Johor Jaya, Stulang, Perling, Skudai and Senai.
BN is ahead in 30 seats namely Pemanis, Kemelah, Bekok, Bukit Naning, Maharani, Semerah, Sri Medan, Yong Peng, Parit Raja, Senggarang, Machap, Layang-Layang, Mahkota, Paloh, Kahang, Endau, Tenggaroh, Pasir Raja, Penawar, Tanjung Surat, Tiram, Puteri Wangsa, Permas, Larkin, Kempas, Kota Iskandar, Bukit Permai, Pekan Nanas and Kukup.
Perikatan Nasional is leading in Bukit Kepong, a state with within Pagoh where PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is the MP.
Pejuang performing poorly in early voting
8.10pm: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's party Pejuang is performing poorly in early voting.
In seats where the leading parties are battling in the four-digit categories such as Bukit Kepong, Semerah, and Paloh, Pejuang is still in the double digits.
Meanwhile, the party's general for Johor - Shaharuddin Md Salleh - is trailing in Machap with just 49 votes, while BN is in the lead with 1,881 votes according to unofficial results.
Hasni arrives to cheers of ‘Hidup MB!’
8pm: BN Command Centre - It’s an early celebration for BN supporters as they greet the arrival of Johor Umno chief Hasni Mohammad with cries of "Tahniah!" (congratulations) and "Hidup MB!" (long live the MB).
A cheerful Hasni, who is defending his Benut seat, has been touted to continue on as BN's menteri besar candidate.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announces BN is informally leading in 44 out of 56 seats, including Paloh which was previously won by Pakatan Harapan.
MCA ahead of DAP in Yong Peng, Pekan Nanas
7.50pm: MCA is ahead of DAP in two of its incumbent semi-rural seats, namely Yong Peng and Pekan Nanas.
In Yong Peng, BN has a strong lead with 6,003 votes to Pakatan Harapan's 4,464 votes. Perikatan Nasional (PN) has 1,093 votes.
In Pekan Nanas, MCA is ahead with 5,201 votes while Harapan has 3,552 votes. PN has 1,287 votes.
While counting in most seats are still in the early stage, more than half of the votes in Yong Peng and Pekan Nanas are already counted.
This means it will become increasingly difficult for DAP to catch up to MCA in these seats.
DAP, however, is ahead in most of its other traditional seats where MCA is also contesting.
Ahmad Maslan: BN leading in 34 seats
7.40pm: BN Command Centre - Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announces BN is leading in 34 of 56 seats.
Among seats recording a lead of over 1,000 votes include Semerah and Seri Medan.
He also notes Pakatan Harapan's lead in seats including Bentayan.
"If we can win in Bentayan it will be a miracle," says the Pontian MP.
Ahmad also announces the arrival of Umno leaders including Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who he credits for BN's victory among army camps in Johor.
Muda ahead in three seats
7.30pm: Muda is giving BN a run for its money in early counting even though most of the early ballots are army and police votes which have traditionally sided with BN.
In Puteri Wangsa, Muda is ahead with 144 votes to BN's 127 votes. Perikatan Nasional (PN) is in third with 59 votes.
Muda information chief Luqman Long says his party managed to win a majority of postal votes.
"Muda won the postal votes in Puteri Wangsa," he says.
In Tenang, Muda is leading with 571 votes to BN's 309 votes. PN has 174.
In Bukit Kepong, Muda is also ahead slightly with 241 votes to BN's 232 votes. PN has 173.
However, Muda is far behind in Bukit Permai with only 30 votes. BN is head with 231 votes while PN has 118 votes.
It should be noted that for most constituencies, postal and early votes only make a small proportion of the votes.
Supporters believe Ah Soon can win Yong Peng
7.20pm: MCA Operation Centre, Yong Peng - Over 100 supporters are gathered here to watch the live streaming of unofficial results.
They cheer whenever the unofficial results show BN candidate Ling Tian Soon, popular known as Ah Soon, in the lead.
Among them are Lim Choon Soon, a 67-year-old MCA member who has been with the party for over half a century.
He says the crowd is bigger than before this year and they believe Ling stands a chance to win.
"It's unlike the last election, they (Pakatan Harapan) got a landslide victory.
"I hope Ah Soon can win since he has put in effort into this place," Lim says.
Yong Peng is MCA's main target which DAP has acknowledged is in danger.
If voting rate low, it’s not positive for Harapan - Loke
7.15pm: Harapan Command Centre - DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke expects the turnout rate to be less than 60 percent.
“Generally we know that if the voting rate is low, it is not positive for Harapan.
“Anyhow, we keep our fingers crossed that we can achieve a better result in the state election,” Loke says.
Actor among BN supporters waiting for results
7.10pm: BN Command Centre - Actor Ady Putra is among BN supporters spotted in the crowd monitoring informal live results streaming in as counting continues.
"I have been here in Johor for about a week.
"I was in Muar, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Kluang with the candidates, we went down to many polling districts. And today I'm here in Johor Baru," says Ady Putra, known among others for his role in the 2013 movie “KL Gangster 2”.
Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announces the arrival of BN leaders including MCA president Wee Ka Siong and Puteri Umno chief Zarida Zariq Khan.
"Keep your distance, if we win but we get Covid, it’s not worth it," he quips.
BN ahead in several seats due to postal, early votes
7pm: As expected and as is with most polls, BN pulls ahead in early counting because postal and early votes are normally counted first.
These ballots are mostly from army and police voters who tend to side with BN.
These votes put BN ahead in several seats including Bukit Permai, Bukit Batu, Senai, Pekan Nanas, Tiram, Puteri Wangsa, Johor Jaya, Skudai and Kota Iskandar.
Interestingly, Perikatan Nasional is able to also grab some of these votes, putting it in second place in most of these seats.
Pakatan Harapan's votes normally pick up later as most of their supporters are in large urban centres where counting takes a longer time.
BN leading with 461 votes in Tanjung Surat
6.45pm: BN Command Centre - Live announcements of informal results are ongoing, highlighting seats where BN is leading the tally.
Most of the 56 seats are showing results of only one or two completed streams.
In N39 Tanjung Surat, BN is leading with 461 votes from four out of 53 streams. Perikatan Nasional (PN) trails with 168 votes, followed by PKR (11) and Pejuang (1).
In N46 Perling, Harapan is leading with 293 votes from one out of 172 completed streams, followed closely by PN with 231 votes and zero to BN.
New voters likely to make up for lower turnout
6.35pm: Analysis - As at 4pm, the turnout rate in the Johor polls was 50 percent, significantly lower than the 61 percent at 4pm during the Malacca polls.
The final turnout in the Malacca polls, which ended at 5.30pm, was 65.85 percent.
The final turnout for the Johor polls has yet to be announced but it is estimated to be near 60 percent. Polls closed at 6pm.
At first glance, it would appear there is a dramatic drop in voters but this is also the first election where the automatic voter registration system was implemented, as well as the new voting age of 18, down from 21.
Automatic voter registration had caused the electorate to balloon by 42.89 percent.
Malaysiakini's preliminary estimation finds the absolute turnout (exact number of voters) will be very similar to 2018, at around 1.5 million voters, although it is significantly lower percentage-wise.
In Johor during the 2018 general election, 1,503,995 out of 1,817,999 eligible voters cast their votes.
In this election, if the final turnout is around 60 percent, some 1.5 million out of the 2,597,742 eligible electors would have voted.
In short, new voters are making up the numbers for the expected lower turnout due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their voting preferences, however, will be known in the next hours.
No need for deals if BN wins two-thirds majority
6.15pm: BN command centre - Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi arrives. He indicates that BN is prepared to sign a deal with the opposition if it wins.
However, he says this may not be necessary if BN can capture a two-thirds majority.
"Our door is always open to cooperate with any registered parties. But if we get two-thirds, then cooperation would be meaningless," he adds.
However, he says BN will consider providing allocation to the opposition.
Counting starts
6pm: All polling centres in the Johor polls have officially closed.
The respective party leaders are now heading to their command centres where they will hold a parallel tally to the Election Commission’s (EC).
This data is gathered from the parties' agents at every polling district and are the source of the unofficial results. The EC's official results normally come later.
According to EC procedures, votes are counted at the respective polling districts before they are brought to the tallying centre.
At the tallying centre, the total votes at the respective polling districts will be totalled.
A recount, if any, can only happen at the polling district level.
The following are where the key parties have set up their command centres:
Pakatan Harapan - Le Grandeur Palm Resort in Senai, Johor
Perikatan Nasional - Impiana Hotel Senai in Senai, Johor
BN - Johor Umno headquarters ar Jalan Yahya Awal, Johor Bahru
Muda - Jalan Rusa, Johor Bahru
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