KUALA LUMPUR - Millions of Malaysians headed to the ballot box before polling centres closed at 6pm on Saturday to elect six state governments, following a fierce two-week campaign, where attacks on political opponents resonated far more than election pledges.

As at 4pm – eight hours after voting began – about two-thirds of nearly 9.7 million eligible voters for the 245 state assembly seats had cast their ballots in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

But Selangor, held by Pakatan Harapan (PH), saw just 65 per cent of votes cast, compared with 70 per cent and 68 per cent respectively in Perikatan Nasional (PN) states Terengganu and Kedah. This resulted in leaders from the ruling PH making impassioned last-minute pleas for supporters in Selangor to head for the polling centres.

“It is still not too late for you to go out and vote and make a difference. Come, friends!” said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, whose father, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is facing an unprecedented early “midterm” elections less than nine months since being sworn in.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat said that given the low visibility of non-Malay voters who largely shun the Malay-Muslim nationalist opposition, there was a possibility that the turnout, which is set to exceed that of the 2021 Melaka and 2022 Johor state polls, “may be all driven by PN voters”.

The unofficial results are expected to be known late Saturday night.

In Penang, Madam Kamaliah Ishak was among the first to arrive at the voting centre in Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Penanti in Permatang Pauh.

The 61-year-old, who was using a walker, was assisted by her granddaughter and election officials when she arrived. She had hurt her legs in an accident recently.

“I always come early to fulfil my responsibility as a voter,” she said.

Her granddaughter, Ms Siti Masyitah Abdullah, 18, was excited and nervous as this was her first time voting.

“I am not familiar with the procedures and didn’t want to risk making any mistakes. Thank goodness, the process was smooth and easy,” she said.

Research houses have predicted that the status quo will remain after polls close, with Datuk Seri Anwar’s PH coalition and its unity government ally Barisan Nasional (BN) retaining control of Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, and the federal opposition alliance PN remaining the state government in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Mr Anwar arrived at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Penanti in Permatang Pauh at about 9.30am to cast his vote, accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“Today is Polling Day and I urge people to come out early to fulfil their responsibility to vote,” he said. “This is just the state elections... The federal government functions as normal.”

Local celebrity Azwan Ali was seen at the polling centre for Hulu Kelang, where his brother and Selangor PN chairman Azmin Ali is running for a seat.

Mr Azwan, who is popularly known as Diva AA, declared his support for rival coalition PH, and predicted a “50-50 chance” of victory for his brother against PH’s Juwairiya Zulkifli.

“Give Anwar Ibrahim a chance. You (PN) are struggling for power and you bash them (PH), but in the end you are the same too,” he said.

Datuk Seri Azmin, who is in the running to become Selangor’s next chief minister if PN wins the state, said he is optimistic about his chances.

“God willing, we will be able to form a new state government in Selangor tonight,” he said, after arriving at the polling centre with his wife Shamshida Taharin and his aunt, Madam Chebee Yahaya, who uses a wheelchair.

Selangor caretaker chief minister Amirudin Shari, who cast his ballot in Selayang Baru, said he is very certain that PH and BN can form a government in Selangor with a more than two-thirds majority.

“Hopefully, our voters from the Malay community will increase throughout the day,” he told reporters.

During campaigning for the polls, Mr Anwar and his allies repeatedly took aim at the likes of PN chief Muhyiddin Yassin and Kedah caretaker chief minister Sanusi Md Nor, accusing them of corruption, slander and abuse of religion to gain votes.

“Anwar reduced poverty. Anwar raised the price paid to padi farmers, but ‘I want to go to heaven’,” the Premier said to thousands who attended a final rally in Malaysia’s rice bowl state of Kedah late on Friday.

“They keep using DAP, Christians and all other manner of reasons to scare the Muslims,” he added, referring to the Democratic Action Party, the largest member of his PH coalition. “So when you end up voting, you know deep in your heart that they (PN) are terrible leaders but... they scare you by using Islam, saying that ‘If I vote Anwar, I won’t go to heaven’.”

The vote, involving nearly half of Malaysia’s electorate, is to elect governments for six of the federation’s 13 states, but it is also widely viewed as a referendum on the Anwar administration, which comprises former foes.

Mr Anwar’s unity government includes parties that control Sabah and Sarawak, and also includes the Umno-led BN, which is seeking to bounce back from its worst-ever performance after winning just 30 of 222 seats in the federal legislature at the general election last November.

Meanwhile, PN, which counts Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia as its key parties, is tipped to make inroads in the Malay-majority seats in the PH strongholds of Penang and Selangor.

On Friday, PAS’ popular leader Sanusi drew a crowd of thousands in Kulim, Kedah, even without top PN figures present.

“Anwar and his ministers are here today (in Kedah) to attack just one Sanusi. But I am laughing,” the caretaker Menteri Besar said, before launching yet another volley of attacks on his counterpart in Selangor, Datuk Seri Amirudin.

The slanging matches between the two have led to Mr Amirudin of PKR filing a defamation suit against Sanusi over claims of an alleged scandal involving a private company’s takeover of land in Selangor.

Selangor is where PN has tried to end 15 years of Mr Anwar’s PKR rule, with former premier Muhyiddin citing the rising cost of living as the people’s biggest concern.

“Anwar’s government is useless at addressing people’s concerns. He has not taken out one cent to help people since the Covid-19 endemic phase,” Bersatu president Muhyiddin told thousands at a rally in Selangor late on Friday.

“What has happened to this country? We want to have a better life, we don’t want to face economic problems any more. We believe that Anwar’s government has failed.”

Analysts say factors that could steer the election outcome include voter transferability, or the willingness of PH and BN grassroots supporters to switch their allegiances to vote for a former rival, after decades of bitter enmity between them.

Observers will also be monitoring the level of Malay-Muslim support for PH-BN, with war-room analyses across the divide listing the leadership of graft-tainted Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi as a liability to the ruling alliance.

• Additional reporting by Eileen Ng and Zunaira Saieed