Anwar’s unity government in jeopardy over ally Umno’s poor showing in state polls

ON THE face of it, the outcome of elections in six Malaysian states last Saturday (Aug 12) was a 3-3 stalemate.

The ruling coalition of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its ally Barisan Nasional (BN) retained control of the state legislature of Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, while the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PAS-Bersatu) alliance tightened their grip in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. In any case, the PH-led government had been at pains during campaigning to point out that these state elections would have no bearing on the make-up of the Federal government.

This is true to a certain extent. This was not a general election (GE) and no parliamentary seat was at stake, save for one in a by-election in Terengganu. But the shifting alliances that is the hallmark of Malaysia politics mean that there is more at stake than simply local politics for the fragile Anwar Ibrahim government. The picture of the aftermath looks troublesome for Anwar.