PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said a low voter turnout in Johor in March had led to a landslide victory for Barisan Nasional.

“As we saw in recent state elections, low voter turnout favours certain sides only, so by calling for a boycott, you will be lending assistance to those hoping for a low voter turnout,” Fahmi told FMT.

His comment was in response to social media messages urging the people to boycott the coming general election.

“But my message is that votes are precious, important, and it decides the future of Malaysia,” he said.

Fahmi, who represented Lembah Pantai in the previous Parliament, said he knew that some people were “dismayed and disappointed” by incidents like the Sheraton Move, which resulted in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.

Some were disappointed that Parliament had been dissolved at a time when “floods are happening almost on a daily basis”, he said.

However, the people should exercise their right to vote, especially young people who had been automatically registered as voters when they turned 18.

Parliament was dissolved yesterday to pave the way for a general election. The Election Commission will meet on Oct 20 to decide on election dates, however the general expectation is that polling will take place in early November.