Malaysians Head to the Polls in State Council Elections, Testing Support for Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government

Malaysians are set to cast their votes on Saturday to choose members of the councils of six states in a ballot that serves as an indicator of the level of support for the unity government led by Anwar Ibrahim.

 

While the elections are unlikely to immediately impact Anwar's current two-thirds majority in parliament, analysts believe his grip on power could weaken if his coalition, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), faces setbacks, particularly among Malay Muslim voters in the predominantly Muslim state in Southeast Asia.

 

Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (00:00 GMT) for over 9.7 million voters expected to cast their votes to select 245 council members in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan.

 

Anwar holds a majority in three of the six states, while a strong alliance of Malays, centered in rural areas and led by Muhyiddin Yassin, dominates the other states.

 

 

 

AFP