Commentary: Malaysia PM Anwar faces crucial test in battle for Malay vote in upcoming state polls

Kedah is shaping up as a key battleground, where PH leaders hope to show that the coalition can claw back electoral ground, or even possibly win narrowly, in a state that is more than 80 per cent Malay-dominated. 

RACE FOR THE YOUTH VOTE

Close advisors of the premier acknowledge that the slippage in popularity that UMNO has suffered in recent years does not show any signs of abating. Mr Anwar is banking on first-time voters and the younger Malay population to give his coalition a chance to deliver on his economic promises.

Unlike earlier generations that traditionally backed UMNO because the party was credited for achieving independence from the British, defusing racial tension in the late 1960s and implementing sweeping programmes that helped ordinary Malays advance economically, the younger voters have no in-built loyalty to the party.

There were 5 million new voters that were drafted into the electoral rolls in the November 2022 general election after Malaysia reduced the voting age from 21 to 18. 

Mr Anwar is counting on this wave.

Leslie Lopez is a senior correspondent at CNA Digital who reports on political and economic affairs in the region.