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Malaysia’s embattled prime minister faces a crucial test on Saturday when the polls opened in elections in the eastern state of Sabah, seen as a referendum on his seven-month unelected government.
The leader of the opposition-ruled state dissolved his assembly on July 30 to seek snap elections and thwart attempts by Muhyiddin Yassin’s ruling alliance to seize Sabah through defections of lawmakers.
Muhyiddin has a lot at stake after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim declared on Wednesday that he had won majority support in the national parliament to overthrow Muhyiddin and form a new government.
This is the first statewide election since the creation of the Muhyiddin government in March.
“It is widely seen as an indirect referendum on whether people are happy with the formation of the backdoor government (not elected),” said James Chin, professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia.
Sabah and neighboring Sarawak on the island of Borneo occupy about a quarter of parliamentary seats and are considered crucial for political influence. The two states are rich in oil and timber, but are among the poorest in Malaysia. They have a higher level of autonomy in administration, immigration and the judiciary.
Sabah’s attempted takeover recalled how Muhyiddin seized power in March after defecting from the reformist government to form a new administration focused on Malaysia.
Since then, the Muhyiddin alliance has taken control of many states after lawmakers defected. The opposition now controls only Sabah and two of the richest states in the country, Selangor and Penang.
But Muhyiddin has been struggling to maintain support amid infighting in his coalition, which has a slim two-seat majority. His leadership is now in more doubt after Anwar claimed to have won the support of the majority, including lawmakers in the Muhyiddin camp.
Anwar has not released details because he is waiting to meet the Malaysian king, who is in a hospital for treatment.
The king has the power to appoint a new prime minister or dissolve Parliament for early general elections. Muhyiddin has said that Anwar’s statement was a mere accusation until he provides evidence.
Muhyiddin has campaigned intensively in Sabah, promising development. Billboards of his smiling face nicknamed Abah, or father, are prominent in many districts. In contrast, former Sabah leader Shafie Apdal urged the state’s multiple indigenous groups to reject Muhyiddin’s Muslim government and rally behind him.
A victory will strengthen Muhyiddin’s position, but a defeat will embolden Anwars’ attempt to regain power, ”said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
Sabah’s election is hotly contested with 447 candidates vying for 73 state seats. More than a million voters, many of them in rural areas, can vote. With coronavirus cases rising in the state in recent weeks, election officials have tightened the rules with health screenings and other strict precautions.
