COMMENT | Sabah exposed the weakness. Johor turned it into a crisis. Negeri Sembilan made it a pattern. On the current trajectory, Malacca and Sarawak are more likely to deepen the damage than reverse it.

Yet, for PKR and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the state that should cause the greatest concern is Selangor. No early state election has been announced, and there is no certainty that one will be called soon, but politically the struggle for Selangor has already begun.

Penang remains DAP’s strongest base, while Selangor is the foundation of PKR’s strength. After losing ground in several states, a serious decline in Selangor would carry far greater consequences. It would raise difficult questions about PKR’s role as Pakatan Harapan’s multiracial centre and whether it can still retain meaningful support among Malay voters.

Negeri Sembilan was more than a defeat. It was an...