KUALA LUMPUR 6 July 2026 — Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on early voters participating in the upcoming Johor state election to back Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidates, stressing the importance of choosing leaders who will advance the state’s development.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening, Anwar wished early voters well for tomorrow’s (7 July) early polling day and urged them to “Pilihlah calon HARAPAN!” (Choose Harapan candidates). He added: “Johor Ke Depan. Undi HARAPAN 🔺🚩” accompanied by the hashtags #HARAPAN, #MemaknaiHARAPANRakyat, and #YakinHARAPAN.
The post included a campaign poster featuring the message “Selamat Mengundi kepada semua pengundi awal di Johor” (Happy Voting to all early voters in Johor) for Tuesday, 7 July 2026, with a clear call to “Undilah Calon Harapan” (Vote for Harapan candidates). The red-toned poster shows a collage of supporters alongside the Malaysian flag and the Harapan logo.
The 2026 Johor state election will elect all 56 members of the Johor State Legislative Assembly. Key dates are:
- Early polling day (postal, overseas, and advance voters): 7 July 2026
- Main polling day: 11 July 2026
The Johor State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on 1 June 2026. Nomination day was held on 27 June, followed by a campaigning period until 10 July.
Johor is currently governed by Barisan Nasional (BN), led by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi of UMNO, which holds a strong majority following the 2022 election. Pakatan Harapan — comprising PKR, DAP, and Amanah — is contesting to regain control of the state.
The election is widely viewed as an important early test for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s federal Madani government and the PH coalition. Other parties contesting include Perikatan Nasional (PN), the newly formed Bersama party (led by former PKR figures), MUDA, and independents.
Anwar, who is also PH chairman, has been actively campaigning in Johor in recent days, holding multiple events and appealing to voters to give PH a clear mandate for continued development, economic growth, and political stability.
Early voting tomorrow marks the start of the final phase before the main polling day on 11 July. Immigration authorities have also stepped up preparations to facilitate smooth travel for Johoreans returning from Singapore and other areas to cast their votes.
The outcome in Johor, along with the Negeri Sembilan state election scheduled for August, will provide an early indication of public sentiment toward the ruling coalition ahead of the next general election.
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