For subscribers

News analysis

Momentum to oust Anwar stalls after Johor vote, but support still shifting to opposition

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim's PH-BN alliance retained the seats in the Johor by-elections, but there has also been an erosion of solid ground for the coalition.

Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim's PH-BN alliance retained the seats in the Johor by-elections, but there has also been an erosion of solid ground for the coalition.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Follow topic:

- The opposition’s bravado about ousting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has quietened down after his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition

won both by-elections

in Johor on Saturday, snapping a string of electoral gains by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact since the November 2022 general election.

Unlike the dominance shown by PN in the northern states and the deep inroads it made in western Peninsular Malaysia as six states chose new governments in August, PH ally Barisan Nasional (BN) managed to stem the advance of the so-called

“green wave”,

a reference to the huge gains made by PN, especially among Malay-Muslim voters.

See more on