Johor bahru: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke hopes voter turnout in the Johor state election tomorrow will exceed 70 per cent to ensure that the government elected truly reflects the voice of the majority of the people. He said a high voter turnout is one of the key indicators of the maturity of the country's democratic system as it demonstrates the people's willingness to fulfil their responsibility as voters.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Loke emphasized that if only half of the electorate participates in the electoral system, it raises questions about the credibility or legitimacy of a government since it does not represent the majority of voters. He stressed that for Malaysia's democratic system to continue flourishing and enduring, a high voter turnout is an important parameter. Loke made these remarks to reporters after launching the Pakatan Harapan (PH) operations room for the Seremban Jaya state constituency.

Loke, who also serves as the Transport Minister, expressed confidence that the target can be achieved as there are no longer any travel restrictions like those during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected voter turnout in the 2022 Johor state election. In the last state election, voter turnout was around 54 per cent due to border closures that prevented Malaysians working in Singapore from returning home to vote.

Loke's confidence is bolstered by the overwhelming response to public transport services, with train and express bus tickets from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Johor Bahru having been sold out since last week. All additional Electric Train Service (ETS) trips from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru had also received an encouraging response, reflecting voters' determination to return home to fulfil their civic duty.

"There are also non-governmental organisations and others providing buses for people to return (to Johor), and they are all fully booked. This is a good sign. If people cannot get public transport tickets, perhaps they can hitch a ride with friends to return to their constituencies," he said.

At the event, Loke also announced Negeri Sembilan state executive councillor J. Arul Kumar's research officer, S. Mugunthan, 40, as the party's new candidate for the Seremban Jaya state seat in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election. He will replace incumbent Datuk P. Gunasekaren, who has held the seat (known as the Senawang seat before the last redelineation exercise) since 2008.

Loke, who is also Negeri Sembilan DAP chief, said Mugunthan was selected based on his commitment and experience in elections at both the constituency and administrative levels, expressing hope that the candidate would receive voters' support. Polling day for the Negeri Sembilan state election has been set for Aug 1, with nominations on July 18.