Anwar secure as he retains hold over 3 states in polls

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim managed to overcome the biggest political test of his nine-month-old administration, as results of Saturday's state elections have shown the ruling coalition retaining its stronghold over three states.

Results released by the Election Commission showed Anwar's Pakatan Harapan, or PH, coalition retained the states of Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang. The opposition Perikatan Nasional, or PN, has also kept control of three states: Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

With the electorate voting in favor of the status quo, analysts said the Anwar-led government can now focus on implementing economic reforms as the country grapples with slower growth and a rising cost of living.

"Work is definitely cut out for Anwar if the outcome of the state elections can be taken as a guide," said Mustafa Izzuddin, senior international affairs analyst with Solaris Strategies Singapore.

The unity government, formed by PH and its erstwhile rival United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, is "fragile", he said. Hence, it is important for Anwar to "retain the status quo, if not strengthen it so that his government completes the full term".

Geoffrey Williams, professor of economics at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said the election results confirmed the status quo and would have "little impact", so the government can focus on its main agenda of economic reform.

Six of Malaysia's 13 states held elections on Saturday. A total of 570 candidates contested 245 seats, with more than 60 percent of the 9.7 million eligible voters casting their ballots.

The relatively low turnout is the result of "voter fatigue" as general elections were held less than a year ago, analysts said. A general election in November resulted in a hung parliament, pushing PH to build a coalition government with UMNO.

Williams said the ruling coalition has to address concerns regarding UMNO to ensure its long-term survival. This is because UMNO had a "poor performance" on Saturday — its candidates lost more than 80 percent of the seats it contested.

Crucial support

UMNO's support is crucial given that it appeals more to Malay Muslims who account for more than 60 percent of Malaysia's population. PH, meanwhile, is considered a multiethnic party and has strong support among Malaysia's minorities and urban Malays.

PN has teamed up with Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, a party promoting a more strict interpretation of Islam. This coalition is gaining ground among Malay voters.

Azmil Tayeb, associate professor in the School of Social Sciences at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the unity government "needs to work hard to build bridges and gain the trust of the Malays".

James Chin, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia, said that while retaining the ruling coalition's hold on three states has reduced political pressure on Anwar, he is only politically safe for a short time because "he lost the Malay vote", the most important vote in Malaysia.

It is now up to Anwar to decide "whether he wants to move the government to the right-wing politics like the opposition and (implement) more pro-Malay, more pro-Islamic policies, because this was what the opposition was telling, and they seem to do very well in Malaysia", he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.