Najib, Mahathir face off in fierce Malaysian election

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Malaysians vote on Wednesday in general elections that are widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Najib Razak, plagued by corruption allegations and now facing an old rival who has staged a political comeback at the head of the opposition – former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Meanwhile, accusations of gerrymandering and new campaign rules have led to claims the government is trying to unfairly impact the vote.

After scoring its worst ever electoral result in 2013, Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is hoping to make a strong showing in the poll. But Mahathir’s entry into the race has shaken things up.

A motorcyclist rides past campaign flags and banners as the Petronas Twin Towers stand in the background in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 8, 2018. /VCG Photo

What’s at stake?

Under Najib’s leadership, Barisan Nasional has taken some severe beatings at the polls.

The 64-year-old came to power in 2009 after the ruling coalition had lost its constitution-changing two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time. Then, in 2013, it failed to even secure 50 percent of the popular vote, although the way electoral districts were drawn meant it still won 133 of the 222 seats in parliament.

So Wednesday’s vote is seen as a key test for BN, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.

Najib has also been embroiled in a massive corruption scandal involving state development fund 1MDB. While billions of US dollars disappeared from the fund, 700 million US dollars reportedly made it into Najib’s private bank account. Both Najib and the fund have denied any wrongdoing but the scandal prompted anti-government protests and even the US department of justice and Swiss investigators got involved.

Other key issues in the campaign have included the rising cost of living, while the mudslinging between BN and the opposition has sharpened ethnic divisions.

Barisan Nasional has historically favored ethnic Malay voters – who make up the majority of the population – doling out subsidies and giving them preferential treatment when applying for university, jobs or even buying a house. Ethnic Chinese and Indians have tended to gravitate to the opposition.

The Mahathir factor

Upping the ante in this election is the return to frontline politics of Mahathir Mohamad, now 92, who governed Malaysia for 22 years.

Wan Azizah, Anwar Ibrahim's wife and Pakatan Harapan's senior leader, addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

A polarizing figure already when he was in office in 1981-2003, Mahathir never pulled any punches about his successors, or the state of Malaysian politics, even in retirement.

The fact that he has returned as the candidate of the opposition, standing in for Anwar Ibrahim – whom he sacked as his deputy in 1998, before Anwar was jailed on what critics called trumped up sodomy and corruption charges – has also raised eyebrows.

Having once led Barisan Nasional, Mahathir has now teamed up with his one-time bitter foe to run against his former party and his former protege Najib.

While some have doubted his motives, his standing with Malay voters has nevertheless provided a crucial boost to the opposition.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim greets his supporters as he leaves the Putrajaya Federal courthouse to offer Friday prayers, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, October 31, 2014./VCG Photo

Mahathir has said if he wins – which would make him the world’s oldest elected prime minister – he would remain in office for at most two years before handing over to Anwar.

The latter is due to be released from prison – where he is serving a second stint for sodomy, which his supporters again say was politically motivated – on June 8.

Skewing the vote

Adding to the drama of this election, critics have accused the government of trying to tip the scales in its favor.

New electoral boundaries were approved in March, giving more weight to certain pro-government constituencies and less to pro-opposition ones, prompting accusations of gerrymandering.

Election volunteers place signs at a voting center on the eve of the 14th general election in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia, May 8, 2018. /VCG Photo

Activists have also slammed a new fake news law, passed last month, arguing its aim is to silence critics of Najib’s government.

Last week, election watchdogs said they had found irregularities in voter registration lists, including two million names that had no address, dead people who were registered to vote, and in one instance, 300 voters who were supposedly registered at the same address.

In another blow, Mahathir – a key asset in the opposition’s efforts to win over Malay votes – could not be featured on campaign material under new election guidelines, as he is neither party president or deputy president.

T-shirts sold at an opposition rally show a picture of Mahathir Mohamad alongside the words "He is not perfect but he is a limited edition" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 6, 2018. /VCG Photo

The decision to hold the vote on a weekday also drew a backlash, with critics saying this would impact turnout and favor Najib, and the government had to declare May 9 a bank holiday to allow all citizens – some of whom have to travel to their hometowns – to vote.

Malaysians living abroad have meanwhile complained of added obstacles making it harder for them to cast their ballot this year.

‘Malay tsunami’

About 15 million people are eligible to vote on Wednesday.

The opposition is hoping a "Malay tsunami," mobilized by Mahathir, will depose Najib and the ruling coalition after six decades in power.

According to a survey published Tuesday by Merdeka Center, an independent polling center, BN could expect to win at least 100 seats in the next parliament, with the opposition taking 83. Thirty-seven seats were too close to call, it said.

In any case, observers agree on one thing: this is the unpredictable election Malaysia has seen.

(Top picture: Supporters of Prime Minister Najib Razak and the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional shout slogans during a campaign event ahead of the 14th general election in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia, May 8, 2018. /VCG Photo)

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