100 days under Pakatan: Tough times for Umno in the opposition

New Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy Mohamad Hasan arriving for a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July.
New Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy Mohamad Hasan arriving for a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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After suffering a shock electoral defeat 100 days ago, Malaysia's former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) has slimmed down from 13 parties to just three.

Gone are the fawning media, control of government assets such as public halls, and civil service mobilisation to support BN's political activities. In their place are nagging doubts on how to play the role of national opposition under the new BN chief, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 18, 2018, with the headline 100 days under Pakatan: Tough times for Umno in the opposition. Subscribe