Malaysia: The ruling coalition at the local level persists

The Polling on Saturday More than 9.7 million Malaysians were invited to elect 245 local assembly members in six of Malaysia’s thirteen states. The results, released by the Election Commission, showed Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan coalition retained three states: Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan.

The opposition Perikatan National Muslim Rural Alliance, led by former government chief Muhyiddin Yassin, and the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which seek to establish a theocracy in Malaysia, retain their dominance from Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Analysts estimate that this performanceAnwar Ibrahim was appointed in November The government faces a major political challenge at the helm after inconclusive legislative elections, giving him time to consolidate his power in this predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian nation.

Govt stay strong

Retaining the states of Selangor, home to Malaysia’s largest port, and Penang, known for its semiconductor industry, are Anwar Ibrahim’s most notable wins, analysts say. However, the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Selangor.

PAS, in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, raised concerns within the current government due to its strong performance in last year’s assembly elections: it was feared that it would allow the opposition to capture one or two more states.

“It is the people’s decision. We must respect this decision”, said Mr. Anwar was commenting on Saturday’s election results. “The federal government is stronger after this election and we will continue to develop a prosperous Malaysia,” he added.

“Victory for Anwar”

For Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert at the University of Nottingham in the UK, retaining three states was “a victory for Anwar” because “he went into this campaign on the defensive”. According to Mustafa Izuddin of consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, the prime minister has enough time to “consolidate” his positions before the 2027 assembly elections.

Mr Anwar’s party, which then led the opposition, won more seats in the 2022 elections, but fell short of the absolute majority needed to form a government. It finally forced him to ally himself with former enemies to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority and form a “unity government”.

Ahead of Saturday’s election, Anwar Ibrahim had called for a “clear and strong mandate” for his coalition to deliver a “better” future for “all races” in the country of 33 million people. The Malay ethnic group makes up two-thirds of the population, which also includes significant Chinese and Indian minorities. In the face of the Prime Minister’s coalition, PAS for its part reinforced its rhetoric based on race and religion to shore up its troops.

(AFP)Show comments