The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) has parted ways with Pakatan Harapan to contest the upcoming state elections. Although some have written the youth-focused party off, there might yet be method to its madness, says this ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute senior fellow.
PH’s priorities clearly lie elsewhere. As the two peninsula-based coalitions in the unity government,who will compete where. Given UMNO’s parlous performance in 2018 and the custom that incumbents are given priority to contest in their seats, the talks are already arduous. Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat will likely have to concede seats to UMNO, making them loathe to yield yet more to MUDA.
First, it cannot be denied that MUDA has a cachet all of its own. The telegenic Saddiq is very media-savvy and has no less than 1.9 million followers on Instagram alone. PH’s decision to work with MUDA last year prompted UMNO to scour its talent pool to find articulate professional candidates to field in urban seats. And, the party’s decision to go it alone solicited comments from Lim Kit Siang and Mahathir, two veterans from opposite ends of the political spectrum.
Indeed, MUDA’s win in the mixed Puteri Wangsa seat was by a handsome 7,000 majority. Syed Saddiq’s narrow victory in Muar in November 2022 was also no mean feat, given the intense competition from a senior Parti Islam SeMalaysia cleric on the one hand and a youth-friendly UMNO candidate on the other.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Commentary: Meta’s new app Threads puts Twitter under pressureMeta brought forward the launch of its “Twitter killer” to capitalise on the Elon Musk-owned app’s recent woes, says Dave Lee for Bloomberg Opinion.
Read more »
Commentary: Why are women expected to dress a certain way once they hit 50?The fashion police tend to come down harder on ladies after they hit a certain age. While some rules for older women are silly, there are thresholds when it comes to dressing appropriately, says lifestyle writer Tracy Lee.
Read more »
Commentary: What is Ryan Reynolds doing on LinkedIn?Celebrities, like the Wrexham co-owner and Deadpool star, are taking their place alongside the site’s humblebraggers and thought leaders, says Emma Jacobs for the Financial Times.
Read more »
PM Anwar gets flak in Malaysia’s Muslim belt over poor economy, subsidy cutsMany are blaming PM Anwar for subsidy cuts on electricity and the Haj as well as the high cost of living. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Commentary: Struggling to cancel an online service? You’re not aloneOnline service providers like Amazon have drawn attention for their manipulative tactics to prevent users from cancelling subscriptions, say these Western University IT researchers.
Read more »
How sweet it is: Eubanks's climb up the ranks is 'icing on the cake'LONDON : Chris Eubanks has emerged as the unlikely American man to go the distance at Wimbledon, downing Australian Chris O'Connell in straight sets on Saturday to reach the fourth round and keep his meteoric climb up the rankings on track.His sharp commentary on the Tennis Channel has earned rave reviews
Read more »