Official results show BN has won 40 of the 56 state assembly seats, while the opposition parties have little to show for their efforts.

Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said that the campaign themes used against Umno and BN – such as the 1MDB scandal, issues of corruption and the “court cluster” – did not have much impact on the voters.

He said PH seemed to be “fragmented” as the coalition could not provide a unified message to Johoreans on public policies, and there had been a lack of discussions by PH on issues that mattered most to Johoreans.

“Voters do not care about ‘court cluster’ Umno leaders campaigning freely in Johor. The PH messages did not work,” he said.

“The voters are more concerned about the state of the economy, the cost of living, reopening the borders and their livelihood.”

The “court cluster” refers to prominent Umno leaders who are either on trial or have been convicted on charges, for offences such as criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering.

Azmil said that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who heads PH and PKR, had been unable to properly explain what made PH different from the other parties contesting in the elections.

He said Anwar should resign in the wake of yesterday’s election results.

“But I doubt that he will do that (resign) because he wants to become the next prime minister, and he will not stop until he achieves that goal,” said Azmil.

He said it was all the more crucial for the current batch of opposition leaders to step down and make way for fresh faces.