In Malaysia, Najib Razak’s comeback hopes gain steam as rivals falter in Malacca state polls

The ex-premier, who is facing a string of corruption charges, led his party Umno to a resounding victory in the by-election

Analysts say the result could pave the way for Najib to return to the apex of Malaysian politics, while his rivals Muhyiddin and Anwar have some soul searching to do

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Some analysts think the convincing win in the Malacca by-election will now energise Najib Razak politically. Photo: Bernama/dpa

Published: 5:58pm, 21 Nov 2021Updated: 9:19pm, 21 Nov 2021

Almost immediately after the Malaysian ex-premier Najib Razak and his party were voted out in the 2018 general election on the back of the 1MDB financial scandal, the veteran politician began a campaign to rehabilitate his tattered image.

Off went the expensive tailored suits, and in came a new Najib who was frequently spotted hobnobbing with the working class in jeans, polo tees and sneakers.

Supporters christened him “bossku” [My Boss] and “malu apa bossku?” [What’s there to be ashamed of, boss?] became a popular catchphrase.

That effort has ebbed and flowed in the three-and-a-half years since the watershed vote, but analysts say his chances of a comeback are now rapidly gaining steam – even as a 12-year jail term for his role in the multibillion dollar plunder, and possibly more such convictions, loom over him.

Reinforcing that view was the resounding victory he engineered for the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) in a snap bypoll on Saturday in Malacca, the country’s second-smallest state.

Facing off with the opposition Pakatan Harapan alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim and Umno’s partners in the national government, the Perikatan Nasional bloc, the party won two thirds of the 28 seats in the state assembly.