The Malaysian Prime Minister's party wins a landslide victory in state elections

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's Malay party claimed a resounding victory in a state election on Saturday, defeating both ruling coalition allies and opposition candidates ahead of national elections.

Following a period of political turbulence, Ismail's United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, won a state election in southern Malacca that was viewed as a bellwether that may form coalitions in national elections.
The elections are not scheduled to take place until 2023, although they are largely expected to be held next year.

 

UMNO had ruled Malaysia since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, but was defeated in 2018 elections by opposition leader Ibrahim Anwar's reformist alliance, following a multibillion-dollar financial scandal that resulted in former Prime Minister Najib Razak's corruption conviction.

Last year, Anwar's coalition fell apart after Muhyiddin Yassin withdrew his Bersatu party and created a new government with UMNO, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, and a number of smaller parties.
Due to infighting, Muhyiddin was forced to quit in August, and Ismail, Muhyiddin's deputy, assumed power, restoring UMNO's authority.

 

The ruling alliance's two largest parties, UMNO and Bersatu, are at odds but have agreed to share power until the next general election.
Both parties are battling for the votes of Malaysia's ethnic Malays, who make up two-thirds of the country's 31 million population.

The UMNO-led National Front coalition won 21 of the 28 state assembly seats, while Anwar's opposition won five and Bersatu two, according to the Election Commission.

 

"Voters returned to the UMNO/National Front fold because this combination is linked with greater financial security at a time of uncertainty," observed Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia scholar at Malaysia's Nottingham University, during the coronavirus pandemic.

She added that it was also a big setback for the opposition, demonstrating that voters disapproved of Anwar's leadership.

 

The people of Malacca delivered a clear indication that they desired "stability and prosperity," according to UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also on trial for corruption.
Opposition lawmakers blamed their defeat on a low voter participation of 66 percent.

According to analysts, a large victory for UMNO might result in challenges in Bersatu-led ruling party states, hasten plans for early national elections, and force the Islamic Party PAS and others who support Bersatu to reconsider their partnership.