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Momentum to oust Anwar stalls after Johor vote, but support still shifting to opposition
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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
KUALA LUMPUR - 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.
