“There’s no benefit in voting for PN. If we vote for them, Mahkota will become an opposition seat. Why would we want that?

“Johor and Malaysia are controlled by the same government. There’s no point in voting for an opposition candidate,” he said at a ceramah here.

Ahmad also said Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Mahkota candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah risks losing if the local Chinese community does not turn out to cast their ballots.

“It will be risky for our candidate if the local Chinese community and those living outside of Mahkota do not vote.

“He needs every Chinese, Indian and Malay vote to ensure Mahkota continues to develop,” he added.

The electoral roll for the Mahkota state by-election has 66,318 voters, comprising 61,397 ordinary voters, 401 police personnel, 4,510 military personnel and their spouses, and 10 absentee voters abroad.

Of the total figure, Chinese voters comprise about 35%.

The by-election, which will take place on Sept 28, is a straight fight between BN’s Syed Hussien and PN’s Haizan Jaafar.

Early voting has been set for Sept 24.