Malaysia to Hold 6 State Polls Next Month in Test for Anwar

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will face his biggest popularity test on Aug. 12, when nearly half of the country’s states head to the polls to vote for regional governments.

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Some 9.8 million voters will be eligible to choose between Anwar’s multiracial unity government and the Malay-majority federal opposition pact in six of the nation’s 13 states. Nominations for the polls will be on July 29, Election Commission Chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said at a briefing in Putrajaya Wednesday, allowing for a two-week campaign period.

The local polls are shaping up to become Anwar’s first referendum among voters since he rose to power in last November’s divisive general election. Anwar became prime minister after scoring the support of longtime rival parties, ending a near-week-long hung parliament. Setbacks at the state elections could prompt his newfound allies to reassess their support, potentially jeopardizing his efforts to slash subsidies and the fiscal deficit.

The coming polls will also be seen as a barometer for the enduring popularity of the conservative Pan Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, according to Wong Chin Huat, a professor of political science at Sunway University. PAS won the most parliamentary seats in the Muslim majority country in last year’s general election, causing gaming- and alcohol-related stocks to slump in the immediate aftermath.

PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man on Tuesday described their efforts as ensuring an “Islamic victory”. The party controlled three of the six states up for contest, including Terengganu, where it enacted laws punishing Muslim women for out-of-wedlock pregnancies and donning men’s clothing. The other two are Kelantan and Kedah.

Anwar’s alliance governed Selangor, Malaysia’s richest state; Penang, the nation’s top exporter and electronics hub; and Negeri Sembilan on the southwest coast. Anwar told reporters Tuesday that the unity government was confident of defending those states.

“With the current developments and some studies, our three states are very strong and we will now focus on two more states,” he said.

(Updates with details.)

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