Malaysian PM mulls snap polls after MPs vacate seats

MALAYSIA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has, for the first time since he came to power, admitted that the country could face snap general elections soon after a series of events caused tremors in the country.

On Sunday, he said he is considering snap elections and would convene a meeting with Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders in due course to discuss the matter.

“Not only at the state level, but we are seriously considering that if this approach continues to strain and fracture relations within the government, then we may have to consider holding a general election nationwide,” he said at the PH Convention 2026.

Some insist that Anwar is making an election gamble after Johor United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) issued an official statement last week that it will contest all state seats in the upcoming state elections.

The statement by the Menteri Besar of Johor, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, that Barisan Nasional (BN) has decided to contest all 56 state seats independently in the upcoming state election has ruffled some feathers in the Madani coalition.

In response, PH has also declared its intention to go solo and fight for all 56 seats.

BN and UMNO are components of the Madani government.

In the 2022 state election, BN won 40 seats, PH won 12, Perikatan Nasional won 3, and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) won one seat.

Meanwhile, Anwar said his government will not bow to threats of any sort. He currently leads a multi-party unity government comprising PH, BN, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and Gabungan Parti Sarawak(GPS).

However, Madani is facing rising tensions with UMNO-BN. Besides the Johor Menteri Besar’s statement on going solo in elections, political turmoil has also emerged in Negeri Sembilan.

All UMNO assemblymen — the lynchpin party of BN — withdrew their support for Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun (PH).

However, there is also a lot of tension within the PKR, Anwar’s party.

On Sunday, the former Economy Minister and his colleague Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, a former Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, announced they were quitting Anwar’s party and would lead a new party instead.

They also announced their resignation as MPs of their respective constituencies. They say they prefer to return the mandate to the people after they quit the PKR.

Rafizi’s highly publicised launch of the new party, Pari Bersama Malaysia, or Malaysia United Party, was done in front of a huge crowd that did not hold their breaths backing the former minister in his moves against Anwar.

Analysts are saying Rafizi’s move has also hit hard in the heart of the Pakatan Harapan and has probably prompted Anwar to issue threats of fresh polls in a bid to calm the nerves.

The current term of the Malaysian government is due to end in December 2027, with a general election required to be held by February 2028.