Malaysia is currently counting votes for six states in a closely contested election race, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government and the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) expected to retain control of the three states each that they previously governed. The states in question are Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
During the two-week campaign leading up to the polls, Selangor, the country’s wealthiest state, was fiercely contested by both the PN coalition and Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Anwar dedicated significant time to campaigning in Selangor, strategically defending his coalition’s position.
In Selangor, the PH-BN (Barisan Nasional) alliance, which was formed after the November 2020 general election, has taken an early lead in several swing seats. Coastal Sekinchan and Kota Anggerik in the state capital Shah Alam are particularly important seats to watch, as they could indicate whether PN is able to gain enough ground to wrest control of Selangor from PH.
As of 8:20 pm, the PH-BN alliance was leading in 31 out of 56 Selangor wards, giving them a simple majority. Although Anwar’s comfortable parliamentary majority is not at stake in this election, it is seen as an early referendum on his administration, less than nine months after the country experienced its first ever hung Parliament.
Anwar’s unity government, led by the PH coalition with support from various East Malaysian parties and BN, has faced challenges due to the historical acrimony between PH and BN. Concerns have been raised regarding the transferability of votes, with supporters from the two coalitions hesitant to endorse each other’s candidates.
Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s PN alliance is capitalizing on these concerns and aiming to win support, especially from the Malay-Muslim majority. They have been targeting them with claims that Anwar and the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) in PH are not adequately protecting the interests of the majority community.
As the vote count continues, Malaysians eagerly await the outcome of this election. The results will determine the governance of six states and serve as an important indicator for the standing of Anwar’s administration. With both PH and PN vying to retain control of the states they previously governed, the electoral landscape in Malaysia is poised for potential shifts, further shaping the country’s political trajectory.
