Voters cast ballots in bellwether Malaysian state election
ABC News
Voters wearing masks are casting their ballots in a Malaysian state election that pits Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Malay party against its allies in the government for the first time amid a widening rift
MALACCA, Malaysia -- Voters wearing masks cast their ballots on Saturday in a Malaysian state election that pits Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Malay party against its allies in the government for the first time amid a widening rift.
The polls in southern Malacca state is seen as a bellwether for voting behavior that could shape political alliances in national elections, which are not due until 2023 but are widely expected to be called next year.
The state election is a three-way fight between a camp led by Ismail’s United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, its ally parties Bersatu and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, and the opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim.
UMNO and Bersatu, the two biggest parties in the ruling alliance, are at loggerheads but have agreed to share power until the next general election.
