Malaysia’s Anwar seeks unity in his coalition ahead of state elections with recent Eid charm offensive
- PM Anwar is grappling with strained relations between members of his unity government, amid rumours of possible defections from his coalition bloc
- The outcome of the six state elections set for later this year could ultimately shape the policy direction of Anwar’s government
Bucking the tradition of hosting one grand Eid “open house” at the prime minister’s official residence, the 76-year-old leader instead chose to take the party to the masses, with events spread across six states in the Malaysian peninsula over three weekends.
A lot of attention, however, will be paid to the public reception of his events in three opposition-held states in the north – Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – which are viewed as an indicator of his popularity, especially among the majority ethnic Malays.
I think it has been clear from the start of his administration that the prime minister has to remain in campaign mode for the coming state polls
Even before the events, the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) had accused the prime minister of campaigning ahead of state polls expected in the third quarter of this year, under the pretext of celebrating Eid with the public.
According to local media, his first event in Kedah on April 29 attracted at least 10,000 people and was attended by the state’s sultan. Next weekend he will have back-to-back events in Kelantan and neighbouring Terengganu.
“I think it has been clear from the start of his administration that the prime minister has to remain in campaign mode for the coming state polls,” said Adib Zalkapli, a Malaysia director with political risk consultancy BowerGroupAsia (BGA). “The biggest challenge is campaigning against a very formidable Malay-Muslim-dominated opposition coalition.”