Anwar's reputation at stake in Melaka state polls
Vote a test for opposition leader and signal of how Malays will vote in general election
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Hazlin Hassan Malaysia Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur, Hazlin Hassan
Melaka's state election on Nov 20 will be a test for Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and a signal of how the majority Malay population in the country will vote in a general election, according to political observers.
"Anwar Ibrahim appears to be taking personal charge of the Melaka campaign. Whether the (opposition) Pakatan Harapan (PH) wins or loses this election, the onus will be upon him. His rivals will try to portray him as incapable if he loses the election," Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun told The Straits Times.
Another analyst described next week's election as a "benchmark" for Datuk Seri Anwar.
"The Melaka polls will be the benchmark of Anwar Ibrahim's strategy for PH and determine their direction for the next general election," said socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya.
If PH wins the state, as it did in the last general election in 2018 when former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad helmed the opposition coalition, this would bolster Mr Anwar's position as PH leader as his electoral strategy will be seen as successful.
A victory will also vindicate Mr Anwar's decision to accept two former assemblymen from rival Umno into the PH fold.
The duo had withdrawn their support for the former Umno-led Melaka state government, leading to its collapse last month and paving the way for the election.
The Umno-led Melaka government itself was formed last year after the fall of its PH predecessor due to the defections of four PH state assemblymen.
Mr Anwar's move to allow the two Umno turncoats to contest under the PH banner has been criticised by some PH supporters as well as by the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party. It and Mr Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat form the main components of PH.
But Mr Anwar has defended his decision, saying that the two defectors were not "traitors" but were helping to "return the people's mandate" to his coalition.
"If PH loses, Anwar's strategy will be seen to have failed, and this will result in criticism against him and PH for making decisions viewed by supporters as going against their anti-party-hopping policy," Dr Awang Azman told ST.
In the 2018 general election, PH won Melaka with 15 seats while the Umno-led Barisan Nasional took the remaining 13 in the 28-seat state legislature.
This time round, there is concern about the possibility of a low voter turnout due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of Covid-19 cases has been rising nationwide over the past few days, breaching the 6,000 mark yesterday for the third day in a row.
This is likely to be a tough fight for all parties in Melaka as no rallies or house-to-house campaigning have been allowed in the run-up to polling day.
