Barisan Nasional Reeling as Big Names Fall in Malaysian Election

09 May 2018

Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was reeling with heavy losses midway through counting following Wednesday’s general election, with four top lieutenants of Prime Minister Najib Razak – including transport minister Liow Tiong Lai and health minister S. Subramaniam – among those felled so far.

The surprises came as both Najib and opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad won their seats.

Mahathir’s victory means regardless of the final result, the 92-year-old is set to re-enter parliament 15 years after stepping down from a 22-year tenure as prime minister.

“Swing seats are up for grabs [and] the opposition should feel confident because of an overall downward voting trend for BN,” said Rashaad Ali, a Malaysian politics observer at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

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Last updated on 10/05/2018