KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim took a narrow lead in Saturday’s general election, although he and his main contenders fell far short of the simple majority needed to form a government, preliminary results from the Election Commission showed.
Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin initially finished second, while Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaqoob’s ruling coalition had the weakest showing of the three main contenders, with results showing that it lost ground in traditional strongholds.
A record number of Malaysians voted on Saturday to end a recent streak of political uncertainty that has seen three prime ministers lead the country in as many years amid an economic slowdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. Is.
But a clear victory in the election was unlikely as none of the three main contenders came close to the majority needed to form a government.
Of the 177 out of 222 parliamentary seats counted, the Election Commission said Anwar’s multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan alliance was leading with 61 seats, while Muhyiddin’s Perikatan National Alliance won 60 seats. Ismail’s Barisan Ittihad got 24 votes.
If Anwar gets the top job, it will mark a remarkable journey for a politician who in 25 years has gone from heir apparent to prime minister, to convicted felon, to the country’s leading opposition figure. has arrived
Muhyiddin’s coalition, which includes a Malaysian-based conservative party and an Islamist party that claims Sharia law, is a junior partner in Ismail’s ruling coalition and is contesting national elections for the first time.
Meanwhile, veteran Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad suffered his first election defeat in 53 years in a blow that could end a seven-decade political career, losing his seat to Muhyiddin’s coalition.
Barisan said it accepted the people’s decision, but refused to admit defeat. The coalition said in a statement that it is committed to playing a role in forming a stable government.
The failure of the main parties to secure a majority means that rival coalitions will have to work together to form a government, and Barisan could still be part of that winning bloc.
Progressive vs. Conservative
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at Singapore’s Institute of International Affairs, said the preliminary results showed a polarization between progressive and conservative forces.
Race and religion are divisive issues in Malaysia, where the Muslim ethnic-Malay population is the majority and the ethnic Chinese and Indians are minorities.
“To form the next government, Anwar must win a clear majority. Otherwise, even if he wins the most seats, the Malay-Muslim coalition will form the next government,” Oh said. Oh said.
Both Perikatan and Barisan prioritize the interests of Muslim Malays.
Barisan, dominated by the United Malays National Organization, ruled for 60 years from independence until 2018, while Peraktan is a new bloc that has emerged as a strong third force with the support of Malay voters.
Anwar was released from prison in 2018 after joining old foes Mahathir and Muhyiddin to defeat Barisan for the first time in Malaysian history, amid public anger at the government over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
The coalition broke up after 22 months in power amid a fight over Mahathir’s promise to hand over the prime ministership to Anwar. Muhyiddin briefly became prime minister, but his administration collapsed last year, paving the way for Barisan’s return to power under Ismail.
Earlier, Malaysians voted amid concerns about the economy, inflation, political instability and corruption. Several Barisan leaders face corruption charges.
“I hope there will be a change in government,” retired Ismat Abdul Rauf, 64, told Reuters. “There are so many issues that need to be addressed – the economy, the wealth of the country, people doing wrong that are not being prosecuted.”
