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‘Blue wave’ setting course to Malacca and beyond
PKR holds on to its reformasi princess
Another play on death
‘Blue wave’ setting course to Malacca and beyond
BN is on course to ride the “blue wave” to Malacca as Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that his coalition will contest in all 21 constituencies it currently holds in its bid to conquer the 28-seat state assembly.
"We have made it clear that the seats we won (during the 2021 polls) will not be shared with any party," the BN chief said.
Its new ally Perikatan Nasional, with whom it cooperated in the Negeri Sembilan election, is nonetheless hoping the two coalitions can strike a deal for the seven remaining Malacca seats.
Further buoyed by the coalition's double victories in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, Zahid expressed optimism that BN’s "blue wave" could soon make its way back to Putrajaya.
"I’m not sure if it will reach Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah but I will make sure it reaches Perlis,” the Umno president added.
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PKR holds on to its reformasi princess
Nurul Izzah Anwar wants to step down from her PKR deputy president post, a role she has held for only over a year since defeating Rafizi Ramli in May 2025, to pursue a “new chapter”.
However, her party has rejected her request, allowing instead for its reformasi princess to go on temporary leave after the PKR National Congress next week.
The former Permatang Pauh MP insisted, though, that she will be moving on to further her studies and “commitments that lie beyond the political arena”.
“My commitment to serving the rakyat and our communities remains undiminished, and I intend to continue that service beyond the confines of any single office or title,” she said, adding that she will remain a PKR member.
PKR vice-president Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will temporarily take over as deputy president during her absence.
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Another play on death
Death rituals seem to be a source of inspiration during election season. In the Johor polls last month, we saw a talkin twist in Pakatan Harapan’s campaign.
Now, Anthony Loke has become the subject of a tahlil by Umno members, allegedly to mock the DAP secretary-general’s "demise" in the Negeri Sembilan polls after he failed to defend his Chennah seat.
DAP leader Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali condemned Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Wan Ghazali for posting a video of the tahlil - a prayer gathering for the deceased - that the latter took part in, with the caption: "Doing tahlil for Loke's burial in Chennah. Condolences."
Calling the move “irresponsible”, Sheikh Umar stressed that religious ceremonies should not be exploited as "material for mockery, insinuation, or a political weapon".
Wan Zuhir, however, denied he had insulted the sanctity of the religion because the tahlil is not part of the five pillars of Islam.
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