On The Radar: Malaysia PM's upcoming test

Malaysia has six state elections looming – and many are seeing them as a measure of how the new prime minister is doing.

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s road to the role was not an easy one. He came to power late last year after years of political turbulence in the country and was ultimately appointed by the king to form a government as no coalition won a clear majority in the election.

Through political deals, Anwar formed and is leading Malaysia’s Unity government. The government is made up of several coalitions, chiefly Pakatan Harapan (PH) and, interestingly, its political rival, Barisan Nasional (BN).

Now that Anwar is entering his eighth month in the role, an upcoming round of state elections is being viewed as a barometer of his rule. 

Within his own coalition, he’s facing tension from ideologically opposed groups while outside, the opposition coalition – called Perikatan Nasional (PN) - is pushing him on challenges like the cost-of-living crisis and issues around corruption.

But underlying a lot of tension in Malaysian politics are historic racial and religious divides. 

These divides are complex and multi-faceted, but historically, the ethnic Malay majority have had a constitutionally protected special status and the country’s politics have incorporated pro-Malay policies.

Anwar’s coalition is multi-racial which comes with challenges. An analysis piece on Channel News Asia, summed it up as: "unless Mr Anwar can show that his government is gaining acceptance among ethnic voters in the upcoming state elections, the narrative in Malaysian politics will continue to be framed around the struggles of a multi-racial ruling coalition government against opposition forces made up exclusively of two Malay parties driving issues of race and religion.”

The Peninsular Malaysia states of Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu will all be heading to the polls across July and August.

Some of these states (Selangor, Penang, and Negeri Sembilan) are predicted to vote along Anwar’s coalition lines but Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu aren't as certain.

These three states are considered part of the ‘Malay heartland’, with Malay-dominated electorates that more traditionally vote in line with pro-Malay policies.

Winning seats in these electorates would be a show of confidence in Anwar’s government – losses will be a stark reminder of the uphill battle it faces.

- Asia Media Centre