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

(Bloomberg) -- 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.

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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.

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.

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