KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Pakatan Harapan’s Joohari Ariffin could win the Sungai Bakap by-election in Penang tomorrow if his coalition manages to woo Chinese votes in his direction, said Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) today.

The think-tank linked to the Selangor government suggested that voters in the Penang state constituency could still lean either way, with a small shift in support enough to decide the outcome of the poll.

"If PH-BN manage to convince ethnic Chinese voters, they could seize the state assembly seat from (Perikatan Nasional) if the difference in turnout between Chinese and Malay voters is not over 15 per cent,” it said in the results of a study release today.

"Otherwise, PN will maintain the status quo by winning the seat.”

Among others, it claimed that the so-called "green wave” of support for PN was subsiding, while Barisan Nasional could appeal to a core of Umno supporters in the seat to back coalition partner PH.

IDE said the obstacle for PH now was mobilising Chinese support, which it said appeared to be tepid based on its survey of voters in the constituency.

Joohari is in a straight fight against PN’s Abidin Ismail, who is the Nibong Tebal PAS vice-chairman.

The Sungai Bakap seat fell vacant due to the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff in May due to illness.