Why Malaysia’s Anwar faces uphill task after Sabah election trouncing to win back voters
Sabah voters don’t trust Anwar, and this will complicate his plan for the next general election, analysts say
Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a single seat of the 73 up for grabs in Saturday’s election, from his own Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a stinging rebuke to a government perceived to have failed to fix Sabah’s perennial problems, ranging from irregular water supply to low funding. The Democratic Action Party, a key part of Anwar’s coalition, lost all its eight seats in the election.
Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) was the big winner with 29 of 73 seats, enough to return Anwar’s ally, Hajiji Noor, as chief minister, albeit with support from other parties to reach a majority in the state assembly.
Warisan, a moderate and multiethnic party popular with younger and urban voters, secured 25 seats.
Anwar congratulated Hajiji on his reappointment, saying the federal government “fully respects the strong and clear message” delivered by voters in Sabah, whose national-level lawmakers are crucial to keep his parliamentary majority intact.
The outcome of the state polls has exposed the lack of trust among voters with Anwar, and that may be dangerous for him with a general election due by early 2028, according to analysts.