The opposition’s strong performance in Malaysia’s state elections is a clear sign that the people have rejected Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government alliance, says Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as he called for the premier’s resignation.
But Anwar, who leads the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) coalition, has stressed that the unity government at the federal level remains intact and committed to serving the people, even as he adds that the people’s choice must be accepted.
On paper, the election outcome keeps things at status quo, with both coalitions retaining the three states they each had control of before the local assemblies were dissolved, paving the way for up to 9.7 million eligible voters to pick from 570 candidates for 245 seats.
But the margin of victory in each state tells a different, deeper story, as it shows how the PN has chipped away at the government’s sway in powerbases Selangor and Penang even as the opposition tightens its stranglehold in home turfs.
Official polling results show the PN improving markedly on its margin in Penang with 11 seats, up from one previously, while more than quadrupling from five to 22 in Selangor, according to data from the Election Commission.
PN also went from zero seats to five in the Negeri Sembilan state, which is also controlled by the ruling PH-BN coalition spearheaded by Anwar.
Muhyiddin, a former prime minister, outlined that the coalition won 106 out of 245 seats it contested across the six states, a 60 percent success rate.
He added that the coalition’s success in defending the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah is “proof” that the Malay heartland was behind the coalition.
He also lauded PN’s performance in Selangor where it clinched 22 seats, having held just five seats before the state assembly was dissolved.
“The success of PN winning these 22 seats means that we have denied the PH-BN Selangor government a two-thirds majority in a state which before this was regarded as their fortress,” said Muhyiddin.
“It’s clear that PN’s success in garnering support from Malay voters signals that PN is the foremost choice for the Malay nationalists at this point. UMNO has become no longer relevant anymore, having only won 19 out of 108 seats it contested,” said Muhyiddin.
