Malaysian opposition bets on Muslim support
Malaysia’s opposition hopes a surge of support from disillusioned members of the country’s Muslim majority can carry them to an unlikely victory in today’s elections.
The optimism has been triggered by the decision of 92-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad, a champion of the country’s Muslim Malays, to run as the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate.
They believe his connection to rural Muslim voters can trigger what they have dubbed a “Malay tsunami” and unseat Prime Minister Najeeb Razzak’s coalition after six decades in power.
Amid escalating anger over a massive financial scandal, Mahathir came out of retirement to take on his former protégé Najeeb, upending an election race that had long looked like an easy win for the government.
Malays, who make up some 60 per cent of the country’s 32 million people, have long formed the bedrock of support for Najeeb’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and winning over the group is key to victory in a Malaysian election.
BN has pushed policies that favour Malays over the country’s substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, supporting them with financial handouts and priority in securing government jobs.
‘Enough is enough’
The opposition, which has sought to project a more multiracial image, has been unable to mobilise support among rural Malays, adding to difficulties of trying to unseat a deeply entrenched government.
But the decision of Mahathir, who ruled Malaysia with an iron fist for 22 years, to join the opposition is threatening Najeeb’s Muslim support base as anger grows over soaring living costs and corruption.
In the small town of Kuala Pilah, Malay businessman Abdul Moktar Awalluddin said he had dropped his lifelong support for Najeeb’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main party in the ruling coalition.
“Enough is enough,” the 70-year-old told AFP, angrily waving his fading UMNO membership card.
“Rural Malays are suffering economically and many — including myself — will vote for the opposition led by Mahathir Mohamad.”
Despite the anger, Najeeb is still expected to win due to what the opposition claims is poll-rigging, and a system that requires only a simple majority of MPs in parliament to maintain power. Malay complaints over rising costs and stagnant wages have been growing louder in recent years, especially in the countryside, and after the introduction of an unpopular sales tax in 2015.
The scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB has not helped, although in rural areas the complex controversy has generally taken a back seat to economic worries.