Malaysia election 2022: Will weekend vote pitting Anwar, Zahid and Muhyiddin against each other result in remake of tired political drama?

Saturday’s contest is the first election where voters have three main coalitions to choose from – Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional

Amid shifting political alignments, racial and religiously-tinged rhetoric has remained a staple especially from Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional

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Election campaign party flags in Gombak district in Selangor on November 15, 2022. The two-week campaign for the 2022 general election – which comes to a close at midnight on Saturday – has been one of unfamiliar standing for most of the coalitions and parties competing for control of the 222-seat lower house of parliament. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 8:30am, 18 Nov 2022Updated: 8:46am, 18 Nov 2022

It was a humid Wednesday evening as thousands of people thronged a public field in Kuala Lumpur to listen to campaign pitches from top leaders of Malaysia’s opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition ahead of the November 19 vote.

As beads of sweat glistened on his forehead amid the glare of the spotlight, Anthony Loke, secretary general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), told the crowd that they have come a long way from 2008 when the opposition pact was known as Pakatan Rakyat.

“Back then, we were in a weak position and BN were strong,” he said, referring to the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

“Now BN are weak and we are strong,” Loke said to raucous cheers from supporters, who stood in rapt attention despite the rain.

The two-week campaign for the 2022 general election – which comes to a close at midnight on Saturday – has been one of unfamiliar standing for most of the coalitions and parties competing for control of the 222-seat lower house of parliament, known as the Dewan Rakyat.