Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government will face its first public vote of confidence in August. As when six key states will head to the polls, the election commission said on Wednesday.
While the regional polls will not directly impact Anwar’s two-thirds majority in parliament, any significant losses for his coalition could lead to questions about his leadership and destabilise his ruling bloc.
This came to power after a closely fought and divisive national election in November.
The six states of Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah will vote on Aug. 12.
Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said at a press conference.
Anwar’s coalition is currently in power in three of the six states.
The elections will pit Anwar’s progressive, multi-ethnic coalition against a mostly conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance led by former premier Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin’s bloc expected to pose a strong challenge to Anwar’s after making huge inroads in the Malay heartlands in the November election.
The alliance has portrayed itself to be clean of corruption. Whereas Anwar has faced criticism for joining hands with a corruption-tainted party to form a government