Bersama eyes 15 seats in Johor, on collision course with Umno and DAP

Parti Bersama Malaysia has announced its intention to field candidates in 15 seats for the looming Johor state election, with the party mostly targeting seats held by Umno representatives.

In a statement today, the party helmed by former PKR leaders Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the seats were assessed based on various factors, including voters’ background, using surveys and data collected over the past six months.

The seats, which are mostly located in the southern part of Johor, were also determined after considering the public’s response towards Bersama thus far, with the party also having looked at the suitability of its candidates and its ability to manage election campaigns effectively in the chosen constituencies.

Among the 15 seats targeted by Bersama, eight have Umno assemblypersons as incumbents, namely: Bukit Naning, Mahkota, Tiram, Permas, Larkin, Kempas, Kota Iskandar, and Bukit Permai.

Another five seats - Johor Jaya, Stulang, Perling, Skudai, and Senai - are held by DAP. The remaining two seats are Puteri Wangsa (Muda) and Bukit Batu (PKR).

Candidates for the seats will be announced on Friday night (June 26), a day before the nomination day.

To achieve a simple majority and form a government in the 56-seat Johor legislative assembly, a party or coalition would have to secure 29 seats.

Integrated campaign system

Bersama added that its integrated campaign system will be launched tomorrow to enable party members and the general public to choose election campaign activities they wish to assist with.

“Bersama aims to pioneer a modern election campaign that does not require large election spending, by mobilising as many members and ordinary people as possible to voluntarily assist Bersama’s campaign in the 15 seats.

“For Bersama, the 2026 Johor state election is not merely a contest for seats and positions among politicians - it is an opportunity to pioneer a political culture that is more focused on solving the people’s problems and securing a better future for the nation and its people,” it added.

Earlier today, Rafizi said the party received more than 70 applications for potential candidates in the Johor polls.

The former economy minister also downplayed the party’s chances at the polls, saying that Johor will serve as a gauge of how much support the party has so that it can make improvements.

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