KUALA LUMPUR: The unity government's victory in the Mahkota by-election has demonstrated that the collaborative approach between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) can effectively unite their strengths to achieve success in elections, particularly in mixed constituencies like Mahkota.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the unity government's by-election victories previously could also send a positive message about Malaysia's political stability.
"This can instil confidence in foreign investors that the current political stability and the integrity of the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be sustained over the long-term," he said in a statement.
However, Loke said despite the significant victory and strong support from all races for the unity government candidate, DAP remains concerned about the low voter turnout among non-Malays.
Following this, he said DAP leadership would continue to engage at the grassroots to reassure supporters of the unity government's agenda and direction.
"All parties within the unity government must also work to maintain internal harmony and strengthen cooperation to achieve even greater success in the future," he said.
BN retained the Mahkota state seat in Johor, with its candidate Syed Hussein Syed Abdullah securing 27,995 votes, winning by a majority of 20,648.
Perikatan Nasional's Mohamad Haizan Jaafar garnered 7,347 votes.
Meanwhile, Johor DAP deputy chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said the victory serves as a sign of political stability, which would strengthen the country.
He also said the unity government's moderate and non-extreme campaign narrative resonated with voters.
"What's most important is the well-coordinated cooperation between PH and BN teams.
"From DAP's side, we mobilised to the maximum to ensure every vote reflected the message to support the unity government candidate from BN.
"Although we faced challenges in convincing voters not to be swayed by extreme campaigns exploiting narrow religious and racial issues, we did not give up.
"Voters embraced the narrative of stability and economic development, actively pursued by the unity government at the federal level and the Johor government's development agenda," he said, adding that Mahkota's victory will stand as a testament to the successful campaign strategy and moderate political approach moving forward.