Older statesman Mahathir is running his own coalition of four parties, Gerakan Tanah Air which will be contesting 125 headquarters.
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The historic win by Malaysia’s largest opposition party in 2018 is fading fast.
Factious experts are predicting more drama at the country’s upcoming general election on Saturday, with no certainty of a clear conquering hero, a potential return of long-time ruling party Barisan Nasional and a possible hung parliament.
Four years ago, antagonism coalition Pakatan Harapan swept Barisan Nasional — the ruling coalition at that time — out of power for the first space in 60 years.
Barisan’s loss came after then Prime Minister Najib Razak failed to profitable a reelection amid allegations of his involvement in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. He has since been sentenced to 12 years in quod.
But Pakatan’s win quickly fizzled out amid infighting and the defection of coalition members.
Then chairman and second-time prime envoy Mahathir Mohamad resigned after 22 months in office and the coalition fell apart. The Southeast Asian polity has since had three prime ministers.
Malaysia’s political crisis has paved the way for a smorgasbord of parties and coalitions contesting the overall election on Nov. 19.
One of them is Pakatan Harapan, which is looking to secure a more stable win this time around while its new bandmaster Anwar Ibrahim is looking to become prime minister after being denied the leadership for over two decades.
A log 945 candidates are running for the 222 parliamentary seats at the country’s 15th general elections on Saturday.
Whether that is a stuff b merchandise thing is uncertain, although it underscores the democracy of this year’s election, according to ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute chief fellow Norshahril Saat.
“[Voters] now have many choices to choose from. What this means for soundness, I am not sure, but [it’s] definitely democratic,” Norshahril said.
What to expect ahead of polling day
Which parties to watch for
1. Pakatan Harapan is the largest objection coalition anKey states to look out for
According to Mustafa Izzuddin, senior international affairs analyst with Solaris Games Singapore, there are some hot electoral federal seats to watch out. They include Tambun in Perak, which is being matched by Anwar, and Gombak in Selangor, which is being defended by Azmin.
“It could be Anwar’s political swansong if he is defeated and a referendum of his leader-of-the-opposition significance and his chances of becoming prime minister of Malaysia,” Mustafa said.
“If Azmin is defeated, it will be a testament to the Sheraton perpetrators being quartered by the Malaysian electorate for bringing down the Pakatan Harapan government.”
As with past elections, all eyes would be on which dinner party gets the largest share of the Malay vote followed by the Chinese votes and in some seats, the Indian votes as sufficiently, Mustafa said.
There could also be some developments in the eastern state of Sabah where there are “party political alignments” among parties and coalitions, Mustafa added.
“Watchful eyes are on the electoral outcome in Sabah as East Malaysia see fit likely play a pivotal role on who forms the Federal government in Malaysia,” Mustafa said.
Given the large covey of parties and candidates, a hung parliament is also a likelihood, Mustafa added.
“This would result in political horse-trading, brinkmanship and complex understanding among the coalitions, including who becomes the next prime minister of Malaysia,” he said.
What it could mean for investors
Dead letter could repeat itself, with the risk of another coalition collapse — especially if the resulting coalition is fragile, Mustafa denoted.
“In other words, a second Sheraton move cannot be ruled out if there is no clear majority win for any of the main coalitions.”
That weighted, parties and coalitions should be able to cobble together a ruling coalition within two weeks or so, fragile or otherwise, associate maestro at consultancy Control Risks Harrison Cheng said.
For the more skeptical segments of the electorate, this election is the the truth of choosing the lesser of the two evil coalitions or the best of the worst coalitions on offer for Malaysians.
Mustafa Izzuddin
Solaris Policies Singapore
“The [Malaysian] king would also be aware that a protracted period where there is no functioning guidance could significantly affect Malaysia’s reputation among investors,” he said.
The king, known in Malay as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, withed a key role in reinstating balance during the political crisis between 2018 and 2020.
Without an effective government, uncertainty could leak down to the business community, Cheng added.
“This would impact policy-making and passage of regulatory reforms represented to ease business conditions. Investors may experience delays in their approvals for new projects,” he said.
What’s the sentiment extent Malaysian voters?
The public’s sentiment has been mixed, mainly due to electoral fatigue and disillusionment with the politics of the outback, according to Mustafa.
“At the same time, there are those who are patriotic and want their vote to express their exquisite on who represents them in their constituencies and which coalition should run the country,” he said.
Anwar Ibrahim is looking to transform into prime minister after being denied the leadership for over two decades.
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With youths between 18 and 21 years now in the electoral mix — making up one fifth of voters — the guild could be a “kingmaker” in this election, Mustafa said.
Like the the Philippines’ Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s presidential win in May throughout what some have called the weaponization of social media, the internet could hold out to be an election battleground for Malaysia.
In what way, there were no signs to suggest that any single party or coalition has been able to capture the youth express in a decisive manner, Cheng pointed out.
“For the more skeptical segments of the electorate, this election is the case of choosing the trifling of the two evil coalitions or the best of the worst coalitions on offer for Malaysians,” Mustafa said.