An election like none other, is it time for change in Malaysia?
A new coalition, a new logo, a new atmosphere of economic malaise and a new wave of young voters mean there’s virtually no point of reference this coming election
Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Najib Razak, caused a ruckus when she allowed others in the government to address her as the “First Lady” as early as 2009.
Malaysia does not have such a concept, unlike countries with Republican traditions such as the United States or France. Nevertheless, the honorific stuck.
If Anwar and Mahathir have kissed and made up, should Najib be worried?
While controversial to some, it barely merits mention on a list of unusual factors as voters prep for the next general election in uncharted waters, filled with anomalies that could cause headaches for ruling and opposition parties alike.
To begin with, the opposition coalition, otherwise known as Pakatan Harapan (PH), will have a common logo when it registers as a formal coalition of four parties. Prior to PH, a common logo had been deemed unnecessary, or inappropriate, as the opposition front had failed time and again to coalesce into a united body.
Somewhat ironically, Nurul Izzah, an opposition member of parliament, averred in an interview with The Malaysia Insight that PH is not so much a “coalition” as it is a “common front”. Still, it is a first to see a de facto “common front” going into the electoral battlefield as one and the same.
