Malaysia to hold general election May 9 – a weekday – raising opposition concerns of voter turnout
Analysts say lower turnout could disadvantage the opposition led by Mahathir Mohamad
Malaysia will hold a general election on May 9, the Election Commission (EC) said on Tuesday, in what could be the toughest test of the ruling-coalition’s 61-year grip on power.
Embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak is under pressure to deliver an emphatic win for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, as he struggles to appease Malaysians unhappy with rising costs and a multibillion-dollar scandal at a state fund he founded.
Najib ended months of speculation when he announced the dissolution of parliament last Friday.
The 64-year-old Najib is expected to retain power, but analysts predict a tough fight from his old mentor and the country’s most seasoned campaigner, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
A reduced turnout is likely to favour the incumbent
Mahathir, 92, transformed Malaysia into an industrial nation from a rural backwater during his iron-fisted 22-year rule until 2003.