Melaka result bolsters Malay political alliance, posing tougher challenge for Malaysia PM Anwar ahead of GE

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The landslide victory showcased how a BN-PN alliance could achieve success at the next Malaysian general election, while dealing a blow to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan…

The landslide victory showcased how a BN-PN alliance could achieve success at the next Malaysian general election, while dealing a blow to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan and its tentative efforts to forge an electoral understanding with Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu.

MELAKA: The commanding victory of the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional (BN-PN) alliance in the Melaka state election has highlighted its strong appeal among Malay voters and pointed the way to possible success at Malaysia’s next general election.

But beyond the landslide victory, the results also point to an increasingly polarised electorate, with the Malay-Muslim unity narrative championed by the UMNO and PAS parties not only consolidating Malay support behind BN-PN but also appearing to drive non-Malay ethnic minority voters towards the Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Analysts say the contrasting voting patterns could further entrench Malaysia’s ethnic political divide ahead of the next general election, the country’s sixteenth (GE16), creating a particularly difficult challenge for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, which relies on a multiracial support base.Although Melaka accounts for only a small fraction of Malaysia's parliamentary constituencies, the result offers another test of a new electoral alliance that has already delivered victories in neighbouring states.

BN and PN swept 24 of the 28 seats in the Melaka state assembly in Saturday’s (Nov 14) polls, with BN winning 21 and PN securing three, while PH retained just four seats, all won by DAP.

BN and PH are allies in Anwar’s federal government, but the two coalitions have clashed in recent state polls following the former’s decision to work with PN under a Malay unity pact.

Political analyst James Chin said the result exemplified a growing wave of support by the Malay community for BN-PN, adding that the "writing was on the wall" for PH ahead of subsequent electoral contests.

Although the combined BN-PN…

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