COMMENT | Upcoming 'mega' state polls will be 'different'

COMMENT | The countdown to the dissolution of the six state assemblies is just weeks away. The campaigning has started, with hateful racialised rhetoric and personal attacks ratcheting up. 

The actual election is two months away, yet Malaysia is already in election mode.

The six simultaneous state elections are a first for Malaysia – a mega collective state election, out of the timing of a Parliament election yet bigger than individual state polls.

Most would already say it will be status quo with the incumbent coalitions keeping control of their respective states, but they are not looking carefully at the competitive contests across all six polls.

This election is not just about who wins state governments but how different parties perform, and perceptions of their performance. Given the number of simultaneous state polls, views of the results will inevitably spill over into national politics.

Overconfidence in the potential outcome has not changed. No question that there will be surprises and, for some, unexpected defeats...