Malaysia Election

Less than a year after taking office, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces a critical first test in state elections next month that pits his government against a powerful Islamic opposition. Election Commission chief Abdul Ghani Salleh said on Wednesday that over 9.7 million voters will head to the ballot box on August 12 to elect 245 assembly members for six states. While state elections generally do not affect the federal government, it will be closely watched as a gauge of support for Anwar's unity government that was formed after a divisive general election in November. Anwar's multiethnic Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance won the most seats in November polls but fell short of a majority after many ethnic Malays threw their support behind the Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc led by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The PN bloc includes the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), that unexpectedly rose to become the single largest party in Parliament. Anwar clinch

Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, has been named as the 10th Prime Minister of the country, the National Palace said on Thursday in a statement.

Campaigning for Malaysia's general elections formally started Saturday, in a highly competitive race that will see the world's longest-serving coalition seeking to regain its dominance four years after a shocking electoral loss. The Nov. 19 election will determine if Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front coalition, can make a strong comeback or whether political reformers can secure another surprise win that will see their leader, Anwar Ibrahim, achieve a long-held dream of becoming prime minister. Led by the United Malays National Organization, BN has ruled since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957. But anger over government corruption led to its defeat in 2018 polls to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH), or Alliance of Hope. The election victory sparked hopes of reforms as once-powerful UMNO leaders were jailed or hauled to court for graft, but it was short lived after defections caused the PH government to crumble in early 2020 and brought UMNO back to power. Scores of ...

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim appealed to voters on Wednesday for another surprise victory when Malaysia goes to the polls later this month, as he faces challenges from a resurgence of ethnic Malay support for rival parties. Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH), or Alliance of Hope, won a stunning victory in 2018 and aims to repeat its success on November 19. The victory was short lived after defections caused the government to collapse in early 2020 and brought back to power the Barisan Nasional coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation. Speaking at the launch of his alliance's election manifesto, Anwar said PH is more united now after being purged of members who were not committed to its reform agenda. To save this country from endless political turmoil and corruption, I appeal to the people to give their support so that PH can emerge with a clear majority in the upcoming election," he said. Anwar didn't participate in the 2018 vote because he was in prison on a sodomy .

The dramatic ousting of the UMNO-led coalition, Barisan Nasional, four years ago was supposed to draw the line under identity politics and end the Malay nationalist par

Muhyiddin Yassin will be sworn in on Sunday, royal officials said, after a week of turmoil that followed the collapse of a reformist government and Mahathir's resignation as premier

In the end, BN still fell short of its usual majority

1MDB announced plans to break up assets and wind down operations in 2015, but Mahathir's win is fuelling speculation that its closure could be more certain

In a ceremony at the national palace steeped in centuries-old Muslim Malay tradition, Mahathir was officially sworn in as prime minister by King Sultan Muhammad V.

The result represents a monumental shift in a nation long defined by racial politics that hasn't seen a transfer of power since independence in 1957