The announcement last Sunday by Malaysia’s opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) that it has agreed on parliamentary seat to be contested among its four component parties in Peninsular Malaysia sends a strong signal to the electorate, coming well before any notice of the dissolution of parliament from the government.

PH’s overall strategy appears to pin opposition hopes of taking Putrajaya on Bersatu’s success. This is no small feat for a party that was only founded in September 2016.

It remains to be seen whether the popularity of Dr Mahathir is enough to swing the required number of votes in PH’s direction. His naming as the opposition candidate for prime minister has been met with both cheers and boos, and many voters are divided on whether the country should turn to a man on the wrong side of 90s.

Most observers believe the odds are stacked against PH, but it has set itself up to prevent a straightforward triumph for BN.

…Rashaad Ali is a research analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ Malaysia Programme.

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