Fierce Competition in 37 Electoral Districts

KOMPAS/KRIS RAZIANTO MADA

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KUALA LUMPUR, KOMPAS – As Malaysians welcome voting day for their general election this Wednesday (9/5/2018), fierce competition is expected across 37 electoral districts in nine states and two federal territories, while experts say that the winners were predictable in the 185 other electoral districts.

In a statement released in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday afternoon (8/5), polling agency Merdeka Center said Perlis, Penang, Putrajaya, Melaka and Labuan would not see a tight race. On the other hand, competition for parliamentary seats could get brutal in nine states and two federal territories, making it difficult to predict who will win in the 37 aforementioned electoral districts.

Nevertheless, the Merdeka Center predicted that the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), led by Prime Minister M Najib Razak, would win 100 of the 222 contested seats. Opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH), led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, was expected to win 83 seats.

A coalition must secure at least 112 parliamentary seats to form a government. In the 2013 election, the BN won 133 parliamentary seats, even though it claimed fewer popular votes than Pakatan Rakyat (PR), its opposition at the time.

The BN garnered most of its votes from Malay voters, the majority ethnicity in Malaysia, for a total vote-count equal to at least 120 parliamentary seats.

As the Malaysian election uses a district system, one seat is contested in each electoral district. The candidate with the most votes in their electoral district wins the district seat.

AP PHOTO

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak delivers his speech during his last campaign rally at his house in Pekan, Pahang state, Malaysia, a day before the national elections on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. The scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib is seeking a third term in office during the May 9 general election, but faces an unprecedented challenge from a rejuvenated opposition led by his former mentor and strongman Mahathir Mohamad.

Final campaign day

The campaign period for the Malaysian general election ended at midnight on Wednesday. Up to Tuesday evening, campaign paraphernalia was still displayed in many cities, while BN leader Najib Razak was still campaigning in his electoral district of Pekan in Pahang state.

He held a speech in front of the home belonging to his late father, former prime minister Abdul Razak. Najib’s speech was broadcasted on the state-run television channel, his personal website and social media accounts.

“Tonight, I am making an announcement. If the BN secures a victory, everyone under 26 years old will be relieved of the obligation to pay value-added tax,” he said to thunderous applause from the audience.

He also promised to declare special holidays on May 14-15 this year if BN won the election. Najib also pledged to increase the amount of the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) direct cash assistance by 100 percent in June.

The BR1M will be increased by 100 percent in August 2018, when civil servants’ salary will also be increased. “All newborns will obtain direct cash assistance of 200 ringgits (US$50.11),” said Najib.

He also promised that all private sector workers would enjoy a 2-percent annual tax cut and the BN would make all toll roads free of charge during the Idul Fitri holiday period, which begins two days before Idul Fitri and ends three days after the feast day.

From the opposition camp, Mahathir said the PH would provide nanotechnology and informatics training for youth, as technological mastery was key to controlling the future economy.

“This election will be important. Use your voting right. Go out tomorrow and come to polling stations,” he urged.

On the eve of voting day, the Malaysian toll road and land transportation authority said that increased traffic was seen on Kuala Lumpur’s toll roads, with a surge in the number of vehicles leaving the city. A number of bus terminals in the capital had seen an increase in passengers since Sunday.

“I want to go back to my hometown to vote there,” said Rahman Noor, who hails from Perak.

Malaysian regulation stipulates that citizens can only vote at the address registered on their ID cards.