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Why the Penang by-election defeat should worry Anwar
While the Malaysian PM’s position remains secure, he needs to heed the warning signs from the Sungai Bakap election on the impact of Chinese voters withholding their support.
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Mr Abidin Ismail (centre) from Parti Islam SeMalaysia, a member of the PN alliance, won the Sungai Bakap seat with about 58.6 per cent of the valid votes.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
Wong Chin Huat
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The staying power of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s 19-month-old federal alliance has been called into question by some quarters following its defeat in a Penang state seat by-election on July 6.
The election for the seat of Sungai Bakap was triggered by the death of incumbent assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff from Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and saw his aide Abidin Ismail, 56, win with 14,489 votes, or about 58.6 per cent of valid votes cast in a straight fight against Dr Joohari Ariffin from Datuk Seri Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance.
