Malaysia’s opposition bloc declared invalid, but limited gains for Anwar

🔮 National elections are due by February 2028, although Anwar has indicated an earlier vote could be considered.

🔮 The reform party’s election campaign in Melaka has been dealt a blow after co-founder Nik Nazmi was hit by a religious morality scandal The controversy surrounding former environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad could undercut Bersama’s promise of delivering a different kind of politics in next month’s Melaka poll, analysts say – although some believe its core base will dismiss scrutiny into his personal life.

🔮 According to his defence’s arguments, he faces 14 health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and glaucoma The decision means his sentence is set to begin after his current prison term ends in August 2028.

🔮 Some social media users question whether they are breathing imported air and ask how it would be sold “We don’t just send smoke; when there is no smoke, we send oxygen,” he said in a widely circulated video published by Indonesian media outlet Kompas.

🔮 The government is projecting slower economic growth and higher inflation in 2027 as it seeks to narrow the deficit Anwar said the budget should be judged on “whether more people can live with dignity” as the government forecast slower economic growth and higher inflation next year while targeting a narrower deficit.

🔮 The November 14 contest comes close on the heels of BN’s strong wins, adding pressure on Anwar’s PH amid shifting electoral strategies The filing of nominations will begin on October 31 and early voting on November 10, Election Commission chairman Ramlan Harun said on Wednesday. BN won 21 seats in the 2021 state election, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured five and opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) two.

🔮 With global acts also touring Asia, UK star Ed Sheeran’s concert fallout in the US raises the question of how the saga would play out regionally In Malaysia, where public support for the Palestinian cause runs deep, promoters must still weigh an artist’s politics against commercial considerations and concert rules.

🔮 This Week in Asia was told that only selected media could cover the operation when it sought access.

🔮 Rozi, 58, struggled to accept it at first, but what troubled her more was the thought that rejecting Hana might push her out of the family altogether.

🔮 With two men claiming the throne and no legal exit in sight, commenters suggest nettle-bed endurance tests to end the fight The dispute has left Negeri Sembilan with two men claiming the throne, a state government at odds with the palace and no clear legal route to settle the fight. One social media user suggested reviving adat perpatih – the customary law of Negeri Sembilan – by subjecting ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and rival claimant Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar to the “stone mattress” test: seven days and seven nights on a stone covered with an intensely itchy variety of nettle, with whoever lasts the longest earning the throne. “Whoever can endure it becomes [the ruler],” the user wrote, adding that the idea “may look illogical, but it is a fact”.

🔮 National elections are due by February 2028, although Anwar has indicated an earlier vote could be considered.

🔮 The government will publicly release findings on alleged corruption and coerced takeovers involving senior officials within three months Public discontent has been compounded by allegations of a so-called “corporate mafia” involving officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), who were alleged to have coerced stake sales and corporate takeovers.

🔮 Royal row tests Malaysia’s constitutional order What began as a customary dispute over a throne has left an administration purged and a state in legal limbo Observers warn that the months-long constitutional crisis could create ripple effects well beyond the state’s borders, testing the entire nation’s systems of monarchy and government.

🔮 Malaysia budget: Anwar to boost welfare, keep subsidies amid inflation worries The US$112.5 billion budget comes as the Malaysian leader faces pressure to hold an early general election after several state poll defeats 3-MIN READ3-MIN Malaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election.

🔮 The scourge of scams and financial crime could become worse with the adoption of agentic AI, which experts say could allow criminals to automate and scale their operations with unprecedented speed.

🔮 Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim is expected to roll out a populist budget on Friday aimed at placating voter concerns over the cost of living and access to essential services, experts say, as the prime minister seeks to shore up support ahead of a general election that could be called as soon as next year.

🔮 The ex-prime minister’s legal team also dismisses a ‘stupid question’ about ‘the billions’ donated by the Saudi royal family King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday decreed that Najib would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home, on condition that he pay his 50 million ringgit (US$10.3 million) fine. The decision triggered widespread outrage among Malaysians over the purported preferential treatment for the corruption-tainted former prime minister and a fundraiser launched by his former ruling Umno party to settle the fine. Najib’s release into house arrest, however, was far from certain as he currently had no means to raise the funds on his own after the authorities froze access to all of his bank accounts, his lawyers said outside the Kuala Lumpur court complex on Friday.

🔮 “A state election will be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the state assembly,” commission chairman Ramlan Harun said in a statement late on Tuesday, adding that the commission would convene a special meeting soon to decide on the date of the election.

🔮 Anwar and PH’s reformist credentials took a hit on Friday after the Pardons Board announced that Najib would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his jail term at home, provided the former prime minister settles his 50 million ringgit (US$10.3 million) fine. In response, Anthony Loke, secretary general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), announced on Saturday that he would resign from cabinet in a move widely seen as decrying Najib’s house arrest.

🔮 Will Malaysia reap the rewards?