JOHOR BAHRU June 4, 2026 – MP for Iskandar Puteri, Liew Chin Tong, has firmly stated that the Malaysian people reject any attempt to revive the “one-party” political system under UMNO-BN dominance, as existed before 2018.
In a lengthy statement, Liew questioned Barisan Nasional (BN) Johor’s decision to contest all 56 state seats in the upcoming Johor state election on its own, despite BN being a partner in the Unity Government with Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the federal level.
“Why does BN Johor want to contest solo? Because UMNO wants to use the state election to restore its position as the dominant party, just like in the pre-2018 one-party era,” said Liew.
He noted that BN Johor is confident of winning more than 40 of the 56 seats, with some leaders even believing they can secure 45 to 48 seats.
Liew reminded that the PH-BN cooperation in the Unity Government has proven effective, not only in governance but also in winning elections. This partnership enables a straight one-on-one contest against Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the next General Election, giving both coalitions a clear advantage.
“If both can continue their cooperation, it will result in a one-on-one contest between PH-BN and PN in the coming PRU,” he said.
MCA Accused of Pushing BN to Contest Solo
Liew explained that dissatisfaction within MCA over the seat allocation formula is the main reason behind the push for BN to contest independently. Under the original UMNO formula for the 165 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, PH would contest 90 seats and BN 75 seats. However, MCA would only be allocated two seats under this arrangement.
“To secure more than two seats, MCA pressured BN to contest solo, even though they know this will lead to three-cornered fights that harm both BN and PH,” Liew stressed.
He also criticised MCA for behaving like an opposition party despite being part of the Unity Government — raising issues that anger component parties, stoking unease among the Chinese community, questioning Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, and attacking DAP and the Unity Government.
At the same time, PAS and Bersatu continue to stir up Malay grievances to undermine confidence in Anwar and the Unity Government.
UMNO Johor Views State as Stronghold for Solo Strategy
Liew said certain UMNO leaders, particularly in Johor, believe the party can only regain its past glory by contesting alone and fielding its own Prime Minister candidate. Johor is seen as UMNO’s fortress to test this strategy first.
“UMNO Johor believes that as UMNO’s stronghold, Johor should hold the state election first. Assuming a big victory, it would become a source of strength for contesting solo in the next General Election,” he added.
History Shows One-Party Era is Over
Liew emphasised that the 2018 General Election ended the long era of one-party dominance. “In reality, there is no longer any single dominant party in Malaysia. All parties must cooperate and make compromises to contest and form governments.”
He predicted that the next General Election (PRU16) will see PH and PN remain as the two major coalitions, while BN continues to lose popularity. Victory at the state level, such as in Johor, does not guarantee success at the federal level, as proven in PRU 2022 when BN won only 9 out of 26 parliamentary seats in Johor compared to PH’s 15 seats.
“May UMNO and BN leaders realise that no sane Malaysian wants to return to the one-party era where UMNO dominated and decided everything for the people. The times have changed,” Liew Chin Tong concluded.
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