PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin might lose his parliamentary seat as the contest grows in the next general election, DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong told Malay Mail.

He faces dangers because his support is largely from the non-Malay voters in GE14, he is losing popularity and his party coalition is getting weaker, Liew was reported as saying.

The Johor DAP chairman said he knows Muhyiddin’s constituency well, adding that they worked together in 2018 to win the southern state which was once regarded as an Umno fortress.

“He won about half of the Malay votes and very high non-Malay support in the last election, (but) under that sort of circumstances, even in his own seat, he may face danger,” Liew said.

The Pagoh MP has held the seat for since 1995. In 2018, he faced two challengers and garnered 23,558 (45.7%) votes out of 43,667 (84.8%).

The seat has 65% Malay voters and 36% non-Malay voters.

“I think it’s a highly dangerous seat for him,” Liew was quoted as saying.

Liew also believes Muhyiddin’s popularity has dropped.

“I don’t think Muhyiddin will be super popular in three months’ time or half a year’s time.

“For him to turn around, it is very difficult within a short span of time, even until August.

“Even when he was as popular as in June 2020, his party wasn’t and it isn’t going to be,” he said.

Liew is basing his observation on the recent public response to the Pagoh incumbent’s initiatives, including the public’s dissatisfaction towards the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Liew doubts that Muhyiddin will manage to drastically reduce the four-digit daily caseload by the end of the emergency proclamation on August 1.

Bersatu also cannot survive with just the support of PAS, with Umno indicating its move away from Perikatan Nasional in the next general election.

Last month, Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub and Padang Rengas MP Mohd Nazri Aziz withdrew their support for Muhyiddin.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said 118 of the 190 divisions that met in early January decided not to cooperate with Bersatu in GE15. – February 28, 2021.