4 changes that will make Malaysia's GE15 significantly different from past elections

Another pivotal moment in the course of Malaysia's history.

Oct. 11, 2022

4 changes that will make Malaysia's GE15 significantly different from past elections

On October 10, 2022, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of parliament, paving the way for the next round of general elections despite vocal opposition from certain corners within the nation's political arena.

The announcement revealed that his decision was made following an audience with Malaysia's King, the Yang-di Pertuan Agong earlier in the day, and that the day of voting would be held within 60 days of his announcement.

Of course, much ado was made about the elections being held during the monsoon season (the first time an election has been held during this period since 1999), and how possible flooding could affect voter turnout.

But that aside, other changes have been made over recent years that will see a markedly different general elections take place, with some of these possibly significant enough to affect the outcome and sway the direction of Malaysian politics for years to come.

1. A younger cohort of voters.

This time around, the demographic making up Malaysian voters will – for the very first time – include younger voters between the ages of 18 and 21. Up until now, the age minimum for voting had been limited at 21 years.

The recent deployment of Undi18 ensured that all Malaysians aged 18 and above would be able to take part in the upcoming elections, with there being an estimated 5.8 million individuals added to the electoral roll (over 21 million in total) as a result.

This change is complemented by the new automatic voter registration, which enrols all Malaysians as voters by default as soon as they turn 18.

This marks a point where considerably more young voters can have a say in their country's political future, and will surely be a noteworthy consideration for politicians who want to sway more tech-savvy, strong-minded, yet still impressionable voters to their side.

2. No more jumping politicians.

Malaysia has finally introduced an anti-party-hopping law that promises to change the way politicians behave for the foreseeable future.

In the past, Malaysians have bemoaned the act of party hopping and the instability left in the wake of officials choosing to switch sides for various reasons. In making such moves, politicians have cited disagreements with their previous parties, although onlookers have always suspected the underlying motive of some sort of personal gain.

The new law, which has only just came into effect, will now ensure that current members of parliament who switch political parties will do so at the cost of losing their seats, which will then be contested once more through another round of voting.

A net positive for voters who wish to have their choices respected, this law will now prevent events such as the infamous "Langkah Sheraton", which saw the Malaysian government switch over to a different ruling coalition almost instantly due to the decision to party-hop by several MPs in a political coup.

However, do note that while individual politicians are unable to hop parties without consequence, the law does still does not cover en-masse party movements, such as a whole political party leaving a coalition to join another.

3. Voting will become more accessible.

Due to a larger pool of voters, this year's elections will see polling hours extended by an hour.

In Peninsular Malaysia, voting hours on the designated day will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and voters in Sabah and Sarawak will be able to cast their ballots from 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Additionally, certain condition for overseas postal voting will also be nullified, with all Malaysians living abroad aged 18 and above now able to enrol themselves for postal voting as soon as registrations open.

Previously, only individuals who had lived in or returned to the country for at least 30 days in the past five years could apply for postal voting, while Malaysians living in certain locales (parts of Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Kalimantan) were not qualified to vote via post.

4. A frenetic four-way battle.

While most elections in the past were fought between two opposing coalitions (traditionally Barisan Nasional since the 1970s, and its various opponents), this upcoming elections will see four coalitions vying for parliamentary majority.

Without going into too much detail, the four coalitions – made up of Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN), and Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) – and several other smaller parties like MUDA and Parti Warisan, will be seen working hard to sway voters over to their sides.

Although it's still uncertain as to which parties will make up the final coalitions and alliances before the actual election day (it is Malaysian politics, after all), ballot casters will be faced with more considerations and information to filter through before deciding on the politicians that they feel suit their ideals the best.

In an age of social media and information overload, this massive battle looks to be one where overall favorites are unclear, and where more impressionable (read young) voters will be targeted by political propaganda campaigns both online and offline.

Consequently, eligible Malaysians voters who aren't too familiar with local politics would do well to conduct their own research for a better understanding of the policies and mandates by candidates, and also the things they've done in the past.

Check your voter status right now.

With GE15 just around the corner, Malaysians aged 18 and above can (and should) review their voter status at the official MySPRSemak website here.