COMMENT | What Malacca political battle means to all parties

COMMENT | The founding of Malacca in 1400 was filled with elements of the supernatural. The last king of Singapura was impressed by the courage of a mousedeer, and thought the Melaka tree, the closeness to the sea or the special powers of the hills gave him the spirit to found a new kingdom after Srivijaya.

His predictions came true because Malacca succeeded where earlier Muslim kingdoms could not – transforming ‘seven or eight fishing huts’ into a world-famous city that had ‘no equal in the world’.

Coincidentally, the upcoming Malacca state election is an open experiment to all parties involved. A mid-term timing, a multi-ethnic composition mirroring the Peninsula, and the removal of superfluous elements of on-the-ground campaigning, Malacca promises a foretelling of GE15.

Pakatan Harapan

For Pakatan Harapan, the Malacca state election is a test of voter stickiness to the coalition. Without ground-shifting scandals like 1MDB and highly unpopular policies like GST, how many voters would still choose Harapan in this state election?

A mostly-urban Harapan voter group would like to believe that they vote on principles. Unlike other voter groups, Harapan voters will not...