15-7-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The state of Selangor, known as Malaysia’s richest and most industrialized state, is gearing up for what is expected to be a fiercely contested election on August 12. The outcome of the state elections is deemed crucial for the federal administration led by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as failure to defend Selangor, which has been under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition since 2008, could have serious repercussions.
In the 15th General Election held in November, the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) managed to secure six out of 22 federal seats in Selangor, propelled by what was referred to as the Islamic “green wave.”
The upcoming state elections will see 56 seats in the Selangor state assembly up for grabs, with 39 of them predominantly Malay seats. A simple majority of 29 seats is needed to govern the state. Selangor’s caretaker chief minister, Amirudin Shari of PH’s component party Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), expressed their targets, stating, “They (PN) are targeting 33 seats, but we are targeting 45 to 50. They also understand that it’s not an easy task. They know that our supporters will not vote for them. But they are targeting UMNO (United Malays National Organization) members and UMNO supporters.”
Selangor, contributing around a quarter of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), possesses the largest pool of eligible voters, numbering over 3.7 million. PH is relying on its coalition partner, UMNO, to regain the support of Malays who predominantly voted for PN in the previous election. Amirudin stated, “UMNO has a very good network and grassroots presence in rural areas, which have been challenging for us for a long time. Especially in the north of Selangor, such as Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, or Tanjung Karang. Hopefully, they can convince their supporters.”
However, observers believe that this task is not without its challenges, as some UMNO grassroots still harbor resentment towards collaborating with their former rival, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), in the unity government, which is only seven months old. There is a risk that they might boycott the election or shift their support to PN. UMNO’s Selangor youth chief, Mohd Imran Tamrin, stated that efforts are underway to persuade its members to support the alliance with PH.
Meanwhile, PN is capitalizing on the discontentment to further divide the coalition partners. PN’s Selangor chief, Azmin Ali, asserted, “This is not an issue of the green wave; it’s a wave of discontent among the people. People want to know what you can achieve within 100 days, but it’s been seven months. There is no direction, no solutions. The leadership is weak.”
Political analysts emphasize that the Anwar administration needs to explain to voters the short-term economic challenges facing Malaysia. Many have blamed the government for rising prices and the continued weakness of the Malaysian ringgit, among other concerns.
During a unity government roadshow in Kuala Selangor on July 12, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, who also serves as PH’s national election director, refuted allegations of economic mismanagement leveled against the unity government. He stated, “The economy is not in shambles. Our growth rate of between 4 to 5 percent is among the highest in the region, and inflation is trending down at 2.8 percent.” Rafizi added that the main issue lies in low wage growth. The government has clear economic policies and solutions, which will be unveiled in the lead-up to the August 12 state elections to sway undecided voters.
Rafizi’s ministry is set to release a renewable energy transition plan on July 27, which is expected to attract RM25 billion (US$5.45 billion) in investments and create around 23,000 high-paying jobs.
“The governing parties have been focused on running the country for the past six to seven months. We have been prioritizing policies, while opposition content against us has been accumulating. Now, we need to neutralize that,” said Rafizi, who believes there is still time to counter the opposition’s narrative.
In the meantime, Anwar has promised to unveil the Madani Economic Narrative next month to steer the country towards stronger economic growth.
Observers highlight that Anwar needs a decisive victory in Selangor to instill public confidence in his administration and ensure the stability of the unity government.
