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Polling has formally closed for Malaysia’s fifteenth common election, as voter turnout defied expectations in what’s arguably probably the most hotly contested polls the nation has seen.
The most recent information from the Election Fee confirmed 14.7 million individuals – or 70 per cent of 21 million eligible voters – had forged their votes as of 4pm native time, exceeding the earlier report of round 12.4 million votes forged in 2018.
Nonetheless, that determine is a long way from the 82 per cent turnout within the 2018 vote. There are some 6 million new voters this time round, following new laws decreasing the voting age to 18 from 21 and enabling computerized voter registration.
Observers beforehand steered a low turnout was a risk amid apathy surrounding the nation’s spin-dryer politics, which has seen three prime ministers govern the nation since 2018’s vote.
This election can also be unprecedented in that three distinct coalitions are vying for the precise to steer the nation for the following 5 years – the Umno-led Barisan Nasional, multiracial Pakatan Harapan and Malay nationalist Perikatan Nasional.
