The stage is set, the players are ready, and the date is marked – August 12, announces the Election Commission (EC), promises to be a momentous day in the history of Malaysian politics as six states gear up for their impending state elections.
Chairman of the EC, Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh, shared the timeline during a press conference. The official kick-off will be on July 29, the day set for nominations. This provides candidates a span of 14 days to campaign and convince voters of their merit.
Early voting, according to Salleh, is planned for August 8, and for those residing overseas, applications for postal voting will remain open until July 8. Domestic postal voter applications will run till July 26.
The approaching elections signify an intense race for 245 state legislative seats, drawn from the state assemblies of Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
The test is twofold. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), face a critical evaluation of their eight-month rule, while the resurging Perikatan Nasional gears up to challenge PH’s strongholds of Selangor, Penang, and Negeri Sembilan.
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The tables could turn in favor of Umno, following Anwar’s strategic alignment with them, despite PH’s decade-long domination in Selangor and Penang since 2008.
Perikatan Nasional, helmed by the Islamist party PAS, is in power in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah. The party has reported growing support and is aiming to make serious strides into Selangor and Penang.
However, the Pakatan Harapan coalition is not sitting idle and is planning to disrupt the status quo in Kelantan and Kedah.
The EC chairman, Abdul Ghani, assured that to maintain fairness, a team of 250 observers would be deployed during the elections.
As Malaysia braces for this game-changing political battle, only time will tell who emerges triumphant and who faces defeat.
(Source: Malay Mail)
