Key facts
- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition lost control of the Negeri Sembilan state government.
- The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won 18 of 36 seats in Negeri Sembilan's legislative assembly.
- Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact won 11 seats in Negeri Sembilan.
- BN and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition are set to form the government in Negeri Sembilan.
- The coalition also experienced a significant defeat in the Johor state election.
- In Johor, BN secured 48 of 56 state assembly seats, while PH won eight.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition has suffered significant electoral setbacks in two key state elections, Negeri Sembilan and Johor, signaling declining support for his reformist government. In Negeri Sembilan, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition secured 18 of 36 seats, forming a government with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, while Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact won only 11 seats. This follows a similar defeat in Johor, where BN won 48 of 56 seats and PH secured eight.
These results indicate a widening rift between PH and BN, which formed an unlikely federal partnership after the 2022 general election. Analysts suggest BN's revival is driven by a Malay-Muslim unity narrative, which has eroded PH's support base. The cooperation between UMNO/BN and PN component parties, particularly PAS, in Negeri Sembilan was crucial in consolidating the Malay-Muslim vote and splitting support away from PH.
The state elections were called after periods of political uncertainty. In Negeri Sembilan, BN lawmakers withdrew support for the Chief Minister, leading to the dissolution of the assembly. In Johor, BN's victory was attributed partly to the campaigning of its de facto chief minister candidate, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, and the weakness of the PN opposition. PH's performance in Johor was impacted by lower turnout among ethnic minority voters, particularly Chinese Malaysians, who appear disillusioned with the coalition.