Malaysia State Election and Its Effect Towards Southeast Asia
By: Lamtiar N S M Nababan
In the 2022 general election in Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim won the election and secured 82 seats for Pakatan Harapan (Mohamad & Suffian, 2023). Recently, Malaysia has just conducted its state election in the country on the 12th of August 2023 with the hope and dreams of a decline of the rise in religious fascism and extremism in the northeast region of peninsula Malaysia. Although it did not reach a simple majority, it is clear that a new political reality for Malaysia has been formed. However, it is unfortunate that Malaysia appears to be facing the same challenges again and over — identity politics. According to Barton (2023), this is a major test for a Prime Minister and a hurdle in achieving political stability.
Urgency and Challenges
Quite similar to the general election, Malaysia’s state election presents a political contestation between alliances like Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional vs. Perikatan Nasional. Six states had the election, which included Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kedah. In this particular case, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan have major voices to be fought for. Theoretically, Pakatan Harapan is supposed to have a considerable amount of support from Selangor as it is one of the central bases of Anwar Ibrahim’s Partai Keadilan Rakyat. Ironically, Perikatan Nasional — the opposing alliance of Pakatan Harapan — secured six over 20 seats in the 2022 general election (CNA Insider, 2023). To win the state election in Selangor or even in other states, a push for more voters is needed, and support by grassroots communities and Malay voters is being gathered; one of them being the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). A contrasting situation is showcased in Negeri Sembilan, where Pakatan Harapan dominated the state along with Barisan Nasional while standing against Perikatan Nasional.
The condition of the domestic political situation of Malaysia raised concern in the country and has been questioning its impact in the region. The general election may have had a huge impact on Malaysia as a nation and its political stances, but what about a state election? One may ask, what ripple effects might a state election in Malaysia bring to the country and its neighbors? What impact will Malaysia experience through its state election? Are there any possibilities for an innovative and unique approach to Malaysia’s foreign policy? What domestic stability could bring to Malaysia’s stance internationally?
Domestics Stability and Its Effect
A country’s domestic stability could significantly affect a regional landscape, especially when it comes to a region that is still growing and developing economically and politically. The influence of this domestic stability includes the geopolitical situation of the country, financial and economic stability, and most frequently politics. By observing the tension in Malaysia’s domestic politics, it is quite obvious and interesting to see how identity plays a big role in the votes submitted. Successful political change movements inspire similar movements in adjacent nations. However, with Anwar Ibrahim’s regime so far, the image is still blurred on what movements are going to be done. Some Malaysians argue that Anwar Ibrahim’s regime is currently bringing hope for a brighter future to Malaysia politically. However, some argue that Anwar Ibrahim should have made more contributions towards marginalized and struggling people (Sipalan, 2023).
After a tense outcome, Anwar’s government could breathe for a little while, the talk should be walked, and it should be done in a calculative and responsive manner. Even though the outcome was definitive and Anwar’s government remained in power, the opposition concluded that the outcome was still a complete ‘defeat’ for Anwar. It is quite visible that Perikatan Nasional managed to make inroads in Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional’s strongholds. This particular statement is definitely a normal point being stated by politicians and rivals when it comes to who wins what. However, with that much tension internally or domestically, what would it bring towards the sub-region — Southeast Asia?
A More Populist Malaysia in Southeast Asia?
The intriguing subject of a more populist Malaysia political movement has been circulating. However, it raises various debates on whether it is a right and appropriate decision for Malaysia to be populist. It is well known that Malaysia is very diverse in multiculturalism, ethnicities, and religions; it is unfortunate that ethnic polarization often happens and identity politics has been very strong throughout many years. It is shown from the results of the elections. A simple example is that Perikatan Nasional is voted among many Malay voters, and to enhance their numbers of votes, voices from the non-Malay community should be heard. During this moment, it is not uncommon for politicians to take advantage of their identity.
Anwar Ibrahim is often mentioned as “too liberal” by many Malay communities, as the existence of privileges and identity for “the majority” is feared to be fading. Others argue that instead of having that fear, unity, and tolerance can be found; a more populist Malaysia may lead to a thought-provoking coexistence in Malaysia’s social and political realms (VOA, 2023). This leads to a dilemma of how nuance should be brought into Malaysian politics. If the topic of a populist Malaysia is carried out, what if the number of Malay voters participating in political elections decreases? Can a fair and balanced policy be upholded to anyone without excluding any other communities? To strive for a more populist Malaysia means promoting peace and solving inequities by having a sense of solidarity and unity among groups. A challenge that remains in Malaysian political life is the possibility of the loss of support from conservative Malays.
Malaysia is diverse, and so is Southeast Asia. With the idea of populist Malaysia’s domestic politics, a new shape of Malaysia on its foreign policy is hoped to contribute to this sub-region stability, although the notion is still infeasible. At the end of the day, the domestic politics of Malaysia can only be intervened by Malaysians, and only those who live inside Malaysia’s domestic politics can bring new political movements on which way Malaysia should take. When that time comes, Southeast Asia will see new changes in Malaysia.
References
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Barton, G. (2023, August 11). State elections in Malaysia present the first test of Anwar government. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/state-elections-in-malaysia-present-the-first-test-of-anwar-government-211115
CNA Insider. (2023). Malaysia State Elections 2023: Anwar Ibrahim’s First Big Test As Prime Minister | CNA Correspondent. Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/C6PiXzF8Ixk?si=aOIg7VKuuCCwxW9z
Mohamad, M., & Suffian, I. (2023). Malaysia’s 15 th General Election: Ethnicity Remains the Key Factor in Voter Preferences. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ISEAS_Perspective_2023_20.pdf
Sipalan, J. (2023, August 18). To beat Malaysia’s “green wave”, PM Anwar must do more for struggling Malays. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3231413/beat-malaysias-green-wave-anwars-unity-government-must-do-more-struggling-malays
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