Malaysia gearing up for 2026 polls, say sources; pundits cite opposition infighting and strong economy as reasons
Malaysia gearing up for 2026 polls, say sources; pundits cite opposition infighting and strong economy as reasons
Preparations are underway for a possible general election later this year, despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously ruling it out, party insiders and civil servants tell CNA.
JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia could head to the polls as early as this year amid shifting political currents that have created the potential for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to seek a renewed mandate ahead of schedule, sources say.
Malaysia’s 16th General Election (GE16) is not due until February 2028 but multiple sources within government and political circles told CNA that groundwork is quietly being laid for a possible election in the second half of 2026.
A politician in Johor from the unity government told CNA the grassroots of his party have been informally told to begin ramping up preparations after Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. This is in anticipation of a general election that could be held concurrently with upcoming state polls “in the latter half of this year”, the source said.
According to the source, it is possible that Melaka and Johor could hold state elections earlier than expected, potentially around June or July, and concurrently with general polls.
The current Melaka state government’s term ends in December 2026, while the current Johor state government’s term ends in April 2027. This means their state elections are due by February 2027 and June 2027, respectively.
Separately, a senior civil servant told CNA that government administrative officers have been placed on alert for a potential general election in the second half of 2026, with certain government resources placed “on standby” from June.
Recent remarks by politicians and observers, reported by the local media, have also fuelled speculation that the polls could be held from the second half of 2026.
Deputy chairman of Malaysia’s Election Commission (EC) Azmi Sharom reportedly said last week that the EC is prepared for the possibility of an early GE16, including holding parliamentary polls concurrently with state elections in Melaka and Johor to reduce costs.
“If state and parliamentary elections are held simultaneously, of course, the cost will be lower because there is no need to conduct two separate elections, and it provides advantages in terms of economies of scale,” he told Berita Harian.
Deputy Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reportedly said the Melaka state election could be held within the next two to 10 months.
Melaka is the next state polls on the calendar and BN is looking to defend its grip on the state assembly after securing more than three-quarters of the seats in the last election.
Anwar had earlier dismissed the prospect of snap polls in 2026, telling journalists last December that his priority was to implement reforms and alleviate cost of living issues for Malaysians.
However, analysts told CNA that the current state of play in politics, including perceived instability within the opposition ranks, may present an opportunity for Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and its allies to consolidate their position and return the 78-year-old for a second term.
SNAP POLLS WITH STATE ELECTIONS?
Malaysia’s electoral calendar offers potential strategic windows.
While GE16 must be held by early 2028, several states face earlier deadlines.
Besides Melaka and Johor, there is Sarawak, which must hold its state election by April 2027.
With Sabah’s state polls done and dusted in November 2025, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) supreme council member Ahmad Maslan on Sunday (Mar 1) mooted the possibility of the Sarawak, Melaka and Johor polls being held this year, in tandem with the general election.
UMNO is the main component party of BN, a key ally of PH in the unity government.
“If there is a plan to hold these state elections together with the upcoming general election, then the general election must be brought forward. Otherwise, these three state elections can be done concurrently by themselves,” he told reporters.
Analysts said a realistic window for the Melaka polls is the fourth quarter of 2026, given the start of 2027 will coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations and Ramadan.
Former Democratic Action Party (DAP) Member of Parliament Ong Kian Ming, who is adjunct professor at Taylor’s University in Selangor, told CNA: “PM Anwar has good reasons to call for a concurrent state and general elections by the fourth quarter of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.”
DAP is part of PH and the party with the largest number of MPs in the governing coalition.
Ong said holding the polls concurrently and ahead of schedule will increase the chances of PH and BN “having an electoral pact”, given that the two coalitions collaborated recently for the Sabah polls.
However, BN has recently appeared to position itself to be competing alone in the upcoming polls.
Following a meeting of BN leaders over the weekend, various local reports have cited how it is set to contest at least 115 seats in the upcoming general election, an indication that it is perhaps no longer willing to play second fiddle in the coalition with PH.
There are 222 seats in Malaysia’s legislative assembly and any party or coalition seeking to form the next government needs to win at least 112 for a simple majority.
During UMNO’s general assembly in January, Ahmad Zahid also proposed a “grand collaboration” involving all Malay-Islamic political parties in the country, an indication that the party is open to collaborating with key Malay conservative parties in the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, including Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
However, analysts point out that PH-BN cooperation could be more beneficial to both sides, because competing against each other could split the moderate/centrist vote in marginal seats, increasing the likelihood of the opposition winn