Relief for Malaysian leader Anwar as opposition fails to alter status quo in state elections
- Early unofficial counts indicated voting trends going along initial forecasts, with the incumbent governments expected to retain power
- The Election Commission said turnout was between 60 per cent and 70 per cent in each state, two hours before voting ended
Ballot counting was under way after voting ended on Saturday in crucial state elections in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s multi-coalition government is seeking to reinforce its position against a strong Islamic opposition.
About 9.7 million people were eligible to vote to choose the next governments for the six states – the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition-held Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in the North, and Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor, where the government parties of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) dominated coalition hold sway.
As of 4pm, or two hours before voting ended, the Election Commission said turnout was between 60 per cent and 70 per cent in each of the states. The final turnout has not been tallied but it appeared lower than the overall target of 85 per cent by the commission.
A tepid turnout in crucial polls across six Malaysian states is likely to be felt most sharply by Anwar and his unity government, experts said late on Saturday, after a campaign where the opposition cast him as neglectful of the Malay-Muslim majority and marshalled TikTok to drive an Islamist agenda.
Counting was set to stretch into Saturday night and the outcome of the state contests will have little direct bearing on Anwar’s hold on federal power.
Yet the polls are a litmus test of support for him and his rag-tag administration of allies and former foes in a politically combustible nation where governments struggle to last their full term.