This was a huge result.

Johor, the birthplace of the UMNO party, the reliable Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition stronghold, fell to opposition hands for the first time in Malaysia's history.

The various candidates competing on behalf of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition won 36 out of 56 state seats, enabling them to form the next state government in the southern state.

BN's caretaker Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Khaled Nordin lost his state seat of Permas.

PH heavyweight candidate Muhyiddin Yassin, the former BN Deputy Prime Minister, clinched the state seat of Gambir and is an early favourite to serve as Johor's next Chief Minister.

Royal favour

The result was surprising, not only because of the BN's long history in the state, but also because Johor's Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim publicly spoke out against PH leader Mahathir Mohamad and urged voters not to "bring down" the government.

Before the polls on May 9, Johor was seen as a key battleground state that would be a bellwether for the PH's chances of forming the next national government.

There was talk before the election about the possible role played by Johor voters based in Singapore, as they were required to travel back to Johor to vote.

Although there were rumours shared on social media about massive jams at Singapore's checkpoints going into Johor, the fact was that traffic on the Woodlands Causeway and Second Link at Tuas were relatively light.

While the results for Johor's parliament seats were not confirmed as of 2.30am on May 10, the fact remains that the BN has been roundly trounced in the battle for its state seats.

And that is a result few would have been brave enough to predict before voters went to the polls.

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