Strategi Politik Naungan dan Parlimen Ayer Hitam Sebagai Kubu Kuat MCA Pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15, Johor

The results of GE 15 showed that MCA successfully defended its victory in the only seat, the Ayer Hitam Parliamentary constituency. This proves that the Ayer Hitam Parliamentary constituency is significant for the political survival of MCA not only in Johor, but also to ensure that the party continues to be relevant in Malaysian politics. The main discussion of this study is on the patronage political strategy planned by MCA as the main action to defend its victory in the Ayer Hitam Parliamentary constituency, thus making this constituency a stronghold for the party. The patronage political strategy discussed in this study includes two actions by MCA, namely the candidates who are contesting and the campaign approach. This study uses a quantitative approach, which is through data processing involving the results of GE 15 for the Ayer Hitam Parliamentary constituency. This data is obtained through a scoresheet of election results based on the voter channels set by the EC. In addition, a qualitative approach is also carried out based on primary sources obtained from the EC such as delimitation reports. This data is analyzed descriptively, which involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to obtain accurate research results. The findings of this study conclude that the main factor that helps MCA maintain its foothold in the Ayer Hitam Parliamentary constituency is through the patronage political strategy. MCA used a patronage political strategy to gain the support of Malay voters to defend its victory in the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat. Through this patronage political strategy, MCA made the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat a stronghold for the party in the Chinese political current, especially in the context of the state of Johor in the GE 15.