Support from minority voters no longer a sure bet for Anwar after low turnout in Penang by-election

KUALA LUMPUR - More than half of non-Malay voters eligible to cast their ballots in the Sungai Bakap by-election on July 6 failed to turn up that day, ringing alarm bells for Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his 19-month-old government as these minorities form the core of their support base.

Making matters worse, his Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led administration has struggled to stem ebbing support from the Malay-Muslim majority, as evidenced by the loss to its Islamist rival by a wider margin, compared with the

state election in 2023.