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Campaigning for Malaysia’s general election kicked off on Saturday in a close race as the world’s longest-serving coalition seeks to regain its dominance four years after a shocking election defeat.
Elections on November 19 will determine whether Barisan Nasional or the National Front can make a strong comeback, or whether the political reformers can secure another surprise victory, which will allow their leader Anwar Ibrahim to fulfill his long term as prime minister. dream.
The coalition, led by the United Malays National Organization, has been in power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. But anger over government corruption led to its loss to Mr Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition in 2018 polls.
The electoral victory raised hopes of reform as the once-powerful Umno leader was jailed, but those hopes were short-lived after the defections caused the new government to collapse in early 2020 and put Umno back in power.
Dozens of candidates, including Mr Anwar and 97-year-old two-term former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, submitted their nomination papers on Saturday, paving the way for the start of a 14-day campaign period.
Local media reported that police fired tear gas to suppress unruly crowds outside the nomination center in rural Borneo island.
More than 21 million Malaysians are eligible to vote to fill the 222 seats in the Federal Assembly and to choose representatives from the three state legislatures.
“The general consensus is that Barisan Nasional, the old ruling party, will do well, and probably the only other coalition that can challenge Barisan Nasional is Pakatan Rakyat,” said James Chin, an Asia expert at the University of Tasmania in Australia.
Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from Umno registered to defend his seat in central Pahang as he warned it would not be an easy win.
Accompanied by drummers and party flag-waving supporters, Mr Anwar submitted his nomination in Tambun in northern Perak state – a new seat for him, where he will face off against the incumbent president who betrayed the coalition.
“Because of current policy failures … and social tensions between communities, we’re here to offer an alternative,” he said as he began his meeting with residents.
Anwar, 75, did not vote in 2018 because he was jailed for sodomy, which he said was politically motivated. The movement was then led by Mr Mahathir, who at 92 became the world’s oldest leader.
Soon after, Mr Anwar was pardoned and took the baton from Mr Mahathir. But mistrust and infighting led to the collapse of the government, sparking continued unrest.
Malaysia has had three prime ministers since the 2018 polls. Mr Ismail dissolved parliament nine months early on October 10 at the request of party leaders despite the risk of flooding due to monsoon rains. Fueled by victories in several states, Umno believes it has the upper hand ahead of a fragmented opposition and an expected economic slowdown next year.
Analysts say the emergence of two new Malay political alliances in Peninsular Malaysia could split votes among the Malays, who make up two-thirds of Malaysia’s 33 million people.
Perikatan Nasional or National Alliance is led by former Umno leader Muhyiddin Yassin. His Bersatu party, which was part of Anwar’s bloc in the 2018 polls, defected with Umno to form a shaky new government fraught with competition.
Mr Mahathir was Asia’s longest-serving leader for 22 years until 2003 and before his brief stint in 2018, and he formed a coalition to compete for 121 parliamentary seats.
Despite his declining popularity, he is defending his seat in the northern resort town of Langkawi. He said he was young at heart and had unfinished business to overthrow the corrupt Umno and transform the country.
“I’m not as old as I am. I’m lucky to be able to play like a lot of young people,” he said.
The two states on the island of Borneo together hold a quarter of parliamentary seats, and many other parties are vying for it. The ruling state governments have traditionally been allied with Barisan Nasional.
“In 2018, it was a long-serving Barisan Nasional government against a long-serving opposition, but it’s not clear. People have more options,” Mr Chin said.
Some analysts have pointed out that a dangling parliament, where no single coalition can secure a majority, could form a new coalition after the election.
Analysts said the addition of 6 million new voters due to a lower voting age also added to uncertainty, while voter turnout could be affected by severe weather.
Parts of Malaysia have already been affected by flooding. The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that severe monsoon rains will start next week, which will lead to flash flooding in low-lying areas.
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