ExplainerMalaysia election 2022: highlights from 2 years of political chaos leading to Saturday’s vote
- Umno is seeking a return to power in Malaysia this week, four years after a crushing defeat in the historic 2018 election and since returning to power in 2020
- The last two years – marred by political upheaval, corruption allegations and a pandemic – have been tumultuous for the party that ruled Malaysia for over 60 years
Umno’s return to power in 2020 had been marred by a relentless period of feuding among Malaysia’s political elites.
And how could it not be? Malaysia’s grand old party saw a crushing defeat – losing an election in 2018 for the first time in over 60 years. It took a series of calculated political manoeuvres for it to find its way back as the country’s de facto ruling party.
This time, Umno is calling for “stability and prosperity” in its manifesto as it attempts to consolidate power through a formal electoral win.
But Umno’s last two years in power have been anything but stable – with the rise and fall of two prime ministers, an economy only just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and top party leaders mired in corruption charges and scandals.
Here are some controversial episodes that have marked the last two years of Malaysia’s political scene.