The 2018 Malaysian election ended six decades of uninterrupted rule
In short: In a historic political upset, Malaysia's ruling coalition was voted out of power for the first time in its history. The victory of the Pakatan Harapan coalition transformed the nation's leadership and reopened investigations into the massive 1MDB scandal, marking a seismic shift in the country's political landscape.
The 2018 Malaysian general election, held on 9 May 2018, resulted in an unprecedented victory for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. By securing 121 seats in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat alongside the Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN), PH ended the uninterrupted reign of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had held power since the 1955 Malayan general election. Globally, this result was viewed as a major political shock in 2018.
The election was marked by significant controversy regarding electoral integrity. The Election Commission of Malaysia faced criticism from watchdogs like Bersih for lack of transparency and alleged gerrymandering. Some analysts from the electoral reform group Tindak Malaysia estimated that a specific redistribution of boundaries could allow Barisan Nasional to regain control with only 33% of the vote. Furthermore, the Electoral Integrity Project ranked Malaysia's election integrity 142nd out of 158 countries in a 2017 study.
The leadership transition saw Mahathir Mohamad, who previously served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, sworn in for a second term at age 93, making him the world's oldest elected head of government. His win prompted renewed inquiries into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, which had paused while Najib Razak was Prime Minister. While PH won the federal government, the political landscape remained volatile; the coalition ruled for 22 months before collapsing during a 2020 political crisis.
The election also involved simultaneous state elections for twelve legislative assemblies. PH successfully gained control of several states from BN, including Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Kedah, and Perak, while also retaining Penang and Selangor. WARISAN seized Sabah from BN, leaving BN with only two states: Perlis and Pahang.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2018 Malaysian general election
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