Polls open for Johor state election

[JOHOR BARU] Polls opened on Saturday (Mar 12) in the Johor state election, the outcome of which could herald an early general election for Malaysia.

Voters began queueing up at polling centres from early morning, wearing masks and observing safe-distancing protocols as Covid-19 infections continue to surge nationwide.

The process so far has been reported to be smooth, with no congestion at polling centres and voters filing in and out within minutes.

"The whole process took just a minute," said college student Sanjena Ananthan, who was casting her ballot at the Perling constituency.

Perling is one of the largest wards in the state with over 100,000 voters.

Ms Sanjena, who is 18 and a first time voter, said that youths like her are looking for a stable government after seeing three different Menteri Besars lead the state government over 3 years.

This is the first election in Malaysia where those aged 18 to 21 are allowed to vote, after laws to lower the voting age came into effect.

Around 2.6 million voters are eligible to vote in the election, which pits three major coalitions against each other.

Barisan Nasional (BN), which is led by Malaysia's largest party Umno, forms the incumbent government. It aims to reclaim its former two-thirds majority in the state assembly from opposition pact Pakatan Harapan, which wrested a substantial number of seats in the 2018 election.

Meanwhile Perikatan Nasional, a two-year-old coalition which forms the federal government with BN, is banking on former prime minister and Johor veteran Muhyiddin Yassin to bring in the votes.

Political observers say a strong showing by Umno in its birthplace of Johor could embolden the party to call for a general election this year. THE STRAITS TIMES

READ MORE:

• Youth vote will be closely watched as Johor heads to polls on Mar 12
• Five things to watch at Johor elections on Mar 12