Malaysia to Hold Early Elections

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Facts

  • On Thursday, Malaysia's electoral commission announced that the country will hold its 15th general election on Nov. 19. PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved parliament on Oct. 10 with an eye toward an early election that he reportedly hopes may end the country's recent instability.
  • Another federal election wasn't due until September 2023. The three front-running groups are the Malay Muslim-majority Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, the multiracial Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
  • Nomination Day will be Nov. 5, leaving 14 days for campaigning. Applications for overseas postal voters will close Oct. 23.
  • More than 21M people are eligible to vote, and there are 222 parliamentary seats up for grabs alongside the state legislative seats of Pahang, Perlis, and Perak. Malaysia's eligible voter base has increased by nearly 50% compared to the last general election of 2018, after the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 2019.
  • Yaakob's United Malays National Organization had ruled the country for more than 60 years before losing in 2018 amid allegations of corruption. It returned to the government via a coalition in 2021 stemming from political discord in the previous government.

Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Channel, Straits Times, and Manila Times.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by MalayMail. Voters have seen how prime ministers from all three parties performed in the past, and can make an educated choice while stabilizing Malaysia’s politics. Unlike in 2018, they now have a stronger understanding of what promises can and cannot realistically be fulfilled. This is a momentous occasion for a more mature, savvy electorate.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Eurasia Review. Malaysia's upcoming election is very important, but the systemic issue of "race-based politics" remains. The current system hasn't helped to solve pressing issues around poverty, social issues, inflation, or education. This colonial relic needs to be done away with – the regressive religious politics are making this Southeast Asian nation fall economically behind on the world stage.