Who really won in Negeri Sembilan?
The return of identity politics means that Malaysia is the biggest loser.
In the Negeri Sembilan state election, Barisan Nasional (BN) emerged with 18 seats, just one shy of the majority needed to govern. Perikatan Nasional (PN), which allied with BN, played a crucial role as the kingmaker, contributing seven seats to secure the majority. While BN won, their support base might be more complex than it appears, with some votes potentially transferred from PN, especially PAS.
The Chinese vote, crucial for BN, did not fully favor the coalition; DAP retained significant support among Chinese voters. Pakatan Harapan (PH) entered the election alone and lost some ground, from 17 to 11 seats, but their status is not entirely bleak due to the inherent weakness of their alliance with BN. Non-Malay voters, particularly Chinese, did not decisively favor DAP, indicating a nuanced political landscape.
Among the winners, PN, PAS, and Wawasan stood out, with PN's successful maiden electoral outing under a new coalition banner and Wawasan's victory signaling a new direction for Rafizi Ramli's Bersatu. The real losers are perceived to be Malaysians and Malaysia as a whole, as politics seem to be gravitating back to divisive identity politics.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
