DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke says the party’s wins in critical mixed seats like Ayer Keroh and Kesidang during the Melaka state election prove its ability to attract voter support.
KLUANG: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke described the party’s success in retaining all four seats it contested in the Melaka state election, including the two critical mixed constituencies of Kesidang and Ayer Keroh, as an achievement to be proud of.
He said retaining Ayer Keroh was particularly significant as the seat had previously been categorised as high-risk based on preliminary analysis of the election results.
He said that, on paper, the combined votes of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) were expected to pose a challenge to DAP’s position.
However, the official results proved otherwise, with DAP retaining Ayer Keroh with a comfortable majority of more than 5,000 votes and securing 55 per cent of the total votes cast.
“Ayer Keroh is actually a mixed constituency, with more than 40 per cent Malay voters, and we secured more than 20 per cent of the Malay vote, particularly among younger Malay voters.
“At polling streams comprising younger voters, we received support which, although not a majority, was quite encouraging and enabled us to win the seat with a good majority,” he told a press conference at the 2026 Johor DAP State Convention here today.
Loke said the achievement had dispelled the perception that DAP was unable to attract Malay support, while demonstrating the party’s ability to broaden its support across different segments of society through continued service and engagement with the people.
On the challenges faced in recent elections, Loke acknowledged a declining voter turnout among DAP’s core supporters, particularly in urban areas, including in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.
He said this was partly due to political apathy and disappointment among some supporters who felt there was little reason for them to turn out to vote.
“This is a challenge for us to revive their enthusiasm and give them a reason to believe that we remain the best choice for them,” he said.
In the 16th Melaka state election, BN won 21 of the 28 state seats, while PN secured three, giving the BN-PN bloc a total of 24 seats.
Pakatan Harapan won the remaining four seats, namely Ayer Keroh, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana and Bandar Hilir.
