Gaayathrey Balakrishnan

COMMENT | In the days leading up to the Negeri Sembilan state election, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim apologised for referring to certain Hindu temples as "illegal" earlier in the year. This apology was meant to placate and fight back the support of Indian Malaysian voters in the elections, referencing a crucial time in Malaysia's public sphere where calls from Malay ethnonationalists to destroy and remove all these so-called illegal temples were made.

WARISAN party flags hung up at the local housing area in Tawau, Sabah, on 19 August 2025 in preparation for the upcoming state election. (Photo by Gaayathrey Balakrishnan). Sabah’s upcoming 2025 state election will be profoundly influenced by the state’s large youth vote, now magnified by the lowering of the voting age. At present, almost 30 per cent of young voters are still undecided, and the large number of multi-cornered fights mean each vote is precious.