Malaysia’s security forces to begin early voting for general election

Malaysian’s 15th general election will take place on November 19, with early elections for the country’s security personnel starting today.

This comes after four years of political instability, during which Malaysia had three prime ministers. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri dissolved parliament in early October, hoping that elections would return his party to its traditional majority.

The ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) is widely expected to be this election’s winner, despite its history of corruption. UMNO had held power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957 until 2018, following the 1MDB scandal. The now-imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak syphoned off billions of dollars of public funds, intended to help the country develop.

Many had high hopes for the multi-ethnic Hope Pact coalition, which ousted the UMNO in the 2018 elections. However, its short-lived government eroded public support for the opposition, making a win for the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition once again likely. Young voters (18-29 years) make up around six of the country’s 21 million eligible electorate and may still proof a final swing factor toward either the liberal Hope Pact or the pro-Sharia Perikatan Nasional coalition.