Malaysia’s Ruling Party Wrests Seat in Boost for Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s ruling bloc won a seat in an opposition-controlled state on Saturday, in a swing of support toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the country’s recovery gains speed.

Barisan Nasional, a key component in Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan pact, won the seat in the east coast state of Kelantan, securing 9,091 votes against the Malaysian Islamic Party’s (PAS) 5,739 in the by-election, according to the election commission. PAS had held the seat of Nenggiri for a little more than a year, and retains control over Kelantan.

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The victory will embolden Anwar as he looks to undertake politically unpopular reforms to strengthen the country’s finances, including ending blanket petrol subsidies. Polling was held a day after he announced he would raise salaries for the civil service — a key vote bank — by more than 10 billion ringgit ($2.3 billion), and celebrated growth exceeding estimates for a second straight quarter.

The results are also a significant boost for Anwar after his coalition suffered a major loss in a separate by-election just last month. Neither of the polls directly impact parliament’s composition, where Anwar enjoys a supermajority.