Congressional elections in Mlaka State on the 14th of next month
Losing coalition partner UMNO
PH supporters leave due to delays in reforms and economic difficulties
Experts “PH, this time again looks like a struggle.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will be put to a political test in the congressional elections in Mlaka on the 14th of next month.
Analysts say that as the government has continued to lose to coalition partners in recent local elections, its political position could be further narrowed if it struggles in this election as well.
According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 28th (local time), Prime Minister Anwar’s Solidarity for Hope (PH) will face the National Front (BN), led by the coalition partner, the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), in the Mlaka state election on the 14th of next month.
PH has suffered one after another in recent local elections. Following a poor performance in the election in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah in November last year, the southern Johor state election in July was also heavily defeated by BN. Since then, the election in the central and western state of Negrismville has also been defeated by BN.
Under these circumstances, Prime Minister Anwar’s political influence is getting smaller. In particular, it is painful that even the leadership within the coalition is shaking due to the successive defeat by UMNO, its partner.
UMNO, on the other hand, is building confidence in the central government’s re-government. UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called for an early general election. Although he lost power in the 2018 general election, he intends to take this opportunity to take the lead in the political situation again.
Analysts say that PH’s sluggishness was compounded by the disappointment of supporters of reform pledges and economic difficulties. Anwar has been criticized for failing to meet expectations, although he has advocated combating corruption and reforming politics since the beginning of his administration. The burden of living expenses due to rising prices is also considered a factor in worsening public sentiment.
The election cooperation between UMNO and the Islamicist party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), is also a burden. This is because it is becoming difficult to expand PH’s support base as both sides rally the support of Malay Muslim voters.
In response, PH is even considering the possibility of cooperation with the Malaysian nationalist party Versatu, which broke away from the coalition government it led in 2020 and played a decisive role in the collapse of the regime.
Meanwhile, only six of the 222 seats in the federal House of Representatives were allocated to Mlaka, making it difficult to see this election as a wind gauge for the next general election. However, there is growing pressure on Prime Minister Anwar to prove PH’s political competitiveness, more than a year before the end of his term.
Experts observed that PH is likely to be defeated by BN in the Mlaka state election.
