Malaysian election produces no clear winner; two opposition blocs neck-and-neck

Updated at 6 p.m. ET on 22-11-19

Malaysia’s election produced no clear winner Sunday, as results showed the coalitions of opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin almost tied, and the long-ruling Barisan Nasional suffered a stunning defeat.

Anwar and Muhyiddin both claimed they had the support of a simple majority of lawmakers to form the government, although results announced after voting Saturday with 220 seats up for grabs showed neither had won the requisite 111.

With that result, voters seeking  a return to stability after seeing three prime ministers in four years can expect more heated politicking ahead, and it appeared to have kicked off already in the early hours of Sunday.

Anwar, who at 75 may be looking at his last chance to be prime minister, said his Pakatan coalition had the requisite numbers to form the government. 

“We have held several meetings and negotiations and as a result, I wish to inform you that as a majority bloc, we have managed to get the support of MPs to form the government, with the simple majority subject to due process to be submitted to the king, to make a discussion and a final decision,” he told a press conference in Shah Alam.

Moments earlier, Muhyiddin made a similar assertion.

“PN has enough seats to form a government,” said Muhyiddin, referring to his Perikatan Nasional coalition, adding that “this success is beyond our expectations.”

He said his bloc had received a letter from the palace listing what to prepare for the king, in an apparent reference to the requisite royal visit that formalizes the results. It was not immediately clear who else may have received such a letter. 

In Malaysia, when the result is close, the king is the final judge of which political grouping has enough support to form the government. 

“To ensure stability, PN is open to work with any parties that supports PN’s fight,” Muhyiddin said.

With its declared partners MUDA and DAP, Pakatan Harapan secured more parliamentary seats than any other coalition – 82 – according to results released by the Election Commission.

Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional, together with the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Sabah-based GRS, was right behind, with 79.

As of 4 p.m. Saturday, more than 15 million of some 21 million eligible voters had cast ballots, according to the commission, which had yet to release final turnout numbers.

“No country in the world (to my knowledge) has so much commitment to vote, from overseas ballots being amazingly organized to the long (and expensive) trips home,” wrote political analyst Bridget Welsh on Twitter.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, ordinary Malaysians are the rock protecting their future,” said Welsh, an academic from the University of Nottingham Malaysia.

Malaysia’s parliament has 222 seats, but voting took place on Saturday for only 220 seats, due to the death of a candidate in one constituency, and a weather-related suspension at another.