Malaysia election: PM Ismail Sabri says days of expecting easy wins are gone, tells Barisan Nasional to buck up

Malaysian caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition must work “very hard” to secure the overwhelming majority it needs to form a strong government in the coming general election, Bernama reported.

Gone were the days when the coalition could field a songkok – the black cap traditionally worn by Muslim males in the Southeast Asian nation – and still win, Ismail Sabri told reporters on Tuesday night in Perak, a state in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia.

Ismail was referring to the historic 2018 election, which saw BN’s first defeat since the country’s independence to the reformist Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance.

BN, which is led by Ismail Sabri’s United Malays National Organisation, regained power in 2020 after PH collapsed due to defections. Subsequent governments relied on a fragile alliance that included traditional rivals such as the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party, and a confidence and supply pact with the opposition.