Anwar Ibrahim confident of simple majority in Malaysia polls

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said his Pakatan Harapan’s alliance is confident of securing a simple majority even in the face of a multi-cornered fight in this month’s general election.

“I have been on the ground, and yes it is a tight race,” Anwar, 75, told Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin in an interview Monday. “But we can move further into the rural heartland to secure a simple majority.”

Malaysia’s general election on Nov. 19 will see multi-cornered fights for almost all the 222 parliamentary seats, raising the possibility that fresh political alliances would be needed to form a new government. The national vote will determine if the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition succeeds in bolstering its position or whether Pakatan Harapan can wrest another victory that will see Anwar realize a long-cherished dream of leading the country.

PH will focus on stamping out corruption and bolstering the nation’s smaller sized firms instead of focusing on just the conglomerates, as part of the alliance’s pledge to slash living costs and improve the economy, Anwar said. Small businesses account for 98% of activity but contribute only 30% to the economy, he said, adding that his coalition aims to lift this proportion.

—Bloomberg