Negeri Sembilan’s state election campaign wraps its first week with moderate activity, as parties hold back on full-scale operations and focus on micro-campaigning.
SEREMBAN: As the first week of campaigning for the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election comes to a close today, political parties contesting the election have yet to shift into full campaign mode, with activities so far remaining relatively moderate.
The customary “flag war” has also lacked its usual intensity and has been concentrated mainly around community halls, village roads, major thoroughfares, overhead bridges and other strategic locations.
As in previous elections, candidates are relying heavily on small-group engagements and face-to-face interactions, while also maximising social media platforms to reach voters and expand their outreach.
The opening week has been marked by familiar campaign activities such as house-to-house visits, congregational prayers and walkabouts aimed at establishing direct contact with local communities.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has visited Negeri Sembilan twice during the campaign period, while Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has made three visits to support his coalition’s candidates.
With the campaign entering its second week tomorrow, political observers expect a sharper escalation in activities as more senior party leaders arrive and campaign operations intensify across the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, who is defending the Linggi state seat, said PH’s strategy in the opening week centred on direct engagement with voters through micro-campaigning.
He said the coalition would intensify its efforts in the coming days, although he stressed that it was still too early to predict how many seats PH could win.
BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the coalition is concentrating on strengthening operations in every seat it is contesting.
“I hope this momentum can be sustained and further strengthened. Candidates and campaign workers must continue going to the ground and meet as many voters as possible to ensure BN achieves an excellent result in this election,” said the incumbent Rantau Assemblyman, who is also the Foreign Minister.
Negeri Sembilan UMNO liaison chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, who is defending the Pertang seat, said BN’s campaign momentum in the Jelebu parliamentary area had been positive, with candidates increasing their outreach efforts to cover as many voters as possible.
A senior lecturer in Political Science at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Seremban 3 Campus, Dr Mujibu Abd Muis, said the election trend is becoming clearer after a week of campaigning.
“At the moment, the contest appears to be centred mainly on PH and BN, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) is still trying to build momentum. PH, in particular, is making greater use of targeted micro-campaigning strategies,” he said.
He added that such strategies reflect a shift in voter behaviour
“Voters are now more inclined to evaluate candidates based on their visibility and ability to engage with the community, rather than simply listening to political speeches,” he said.
Mujibu added that the final week of campaigning is usually the most decisive period, when fence-sitters and undecided voters begin making their final choices.
A total of 103 candidates are contesting the 36 state seats in Negeri Sembilan. PH leads the field by fielding 36 candidates, followed by BN (25 candidates), Bersatu (24 candidates), and Perikatan Nasional (PN) with 11 candidates.
The election also features participation from Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (ASLI), and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)—each fielding one candidate—alongside four independent candidates.
Early voting for the Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for July 28, while polling day is set for August 1.
