Next Malaysian general election

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Next Malaysian general election
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←  2022
On or before 17 February 2028 (2028-02-17)
Next →
All 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat
112 seats needed for a majority
  20251026 Anwar Ibrahim 47th ASEAN Summit.jpg Deputy Prime Minister Hamidi - 2017 (36294565072) (cropped).jpg
Leader Anwar Ibrahim Vacant Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Party PKR PAS UMNO
Alliance Pakatan Harapan Perikatan Nasional Barisan Nasional
Leader's seat Tambun Bagan Datuk
Last election81 seats74 seats30 seats
Current seats796630
Seats neededIncrease2.svg 33Increase2.svg 46Increase2.svg 82
  Abang Johari UNIMAS meeting.jpg CM Hajiji Noor in 2024 (cropped).jpg Mohd Shafie Apdal in 2023 (cropped 3to4).jpg
Leader Abang Johari Hajiji Noor Shafie Apdal
Party PBB GAGASAN WARISAN
Alliance GPS GRS
Leader's seatN/AN/A Semporna
Last election23 seats6 seats3 seats
Current seats2353
Seats neededSteady2.svg [a] Steady2.svg [b] Increase2.svg 109
Incumbent Prime Minister

Anwar Ibrahim
PH



General elections must be held in Malaysia by 17 February 2028. Redistribution and boundary changes for the constituencies are expected to take place by 2026, with the last taking place before the 2018 general election. [1]

Contents

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, leader of Pakatan Harapan, currently leads a coalition government consisting of PH, BN, GPS, GRS, WARISAN and other minor parties. [2] Perikatan Nasional (PN) and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) sit as the opposition. [3] [4]

The 2022 general elections saw PN make gains primarily in the northern peninsular states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu in what was dubbed as the Green Wave. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] It resulted in a hung parliament for the first time in Malaysian electoral history. [11]

Electoral system

Elections in Malaysia are conducted at the federal and state levels. Federal elections elect members of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state elections in each of the 13 states elect members of their respective state legislative assembly. As Malaysia follows the Westminster system of government, the head of government (Prime Minister at the federal level and the Chief Ministers, the so-called Menteri Besar, at the state level) is the person who commands the confidence of the majority of members in the respective legislature – this is normally the leader of the party or coalition with the majority of seats in the legislature.

The Dewan Rakyat consists of 222 members, known as Members of Parliament (MPs), that are elected for five-year terms. Each MP is elected from a single-member constituency using the first-past-the-post voting system. If one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the government, with its leader becoming the Prime Minister. In the event of a hung parliament, where no single party obtains the majority of seats, the government may still form through a coalition or a confidence and supply agreement with other parties. In practice, coalitions and alliances in Malaysia generally persist between elections, and member parties do not normally contest for the same seats.

Political parties and candidates

The party commanding a majority support in the Dewan Rakyat is called upon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to form a government and present its nominee as Prime Minister of Malaysia, whereas the largest party in the opposition bench nominates a candidate for Leader of the Opposition.

Main parties

The main political coalitions competing in the next general election are Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN). PH, a multiracial reformist coalition that won the 2018 election prior to collapsing during the 2020 political crisis, had formed a negotiated unity government in the aftermath of the 2022 election that had produced the country's first hung parliament. [12] [13] PN, a right-wing Malay-conservative coalition formed amid the 2020 crisis that subsequently led to it forming the government, acts as the main opposition at the federal level following its loss in 2022 and its leadership's declination to participate in the unity arrangement. [12] BN, the country's former ruling coalition which retains substantial support and kingmaker capacity, had undergone a pragmatic shift in the aftermath of the unity arrangement: the coalition allied itself with PH, its former historical rival, as a junior coalition partner and formed an electoral pact for the upcoming election, planning to avoid seat overlaps and uniting the parties's election machinery with the goal of maintaining the unity government status quo after the election. [14] [15]

In addition to the major national coalitions, a number of regional parties and coalitions in East Malaysia are expected to be key players in the next general election due to their ability to become kingmakers during the government formation. Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), a Sarawak-based coalition formed by former BN component parties, dominates politics in Sarawak and commands a significant bloc of parliamentary seats. In Sabah, the two largest parties are Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the ruling state government which supports stronger federal-state cooperation while being seen as closer to the unity government, [16] and Parti Warisan (WARISAN), the state's main opposition which utilises 'Sabah for Sabahan' rhetoric, taking a more antagonistic stance against the federal government while simultaneously sitting in the government bench. [17] The performance of these regional parties and their decisions to align with or against national coalitions is widely seen as a key determinant in the post-election government formation in Malaysia’s fragmented party system.

NameIdeologyPositionLeader2022 resultStanding before electionFederal government
Votes (%)Seats
PH Pakatan Harapan
Alliance of Hope		 Reformism Centre to Centre-left Anwar Ibrahim 37.95%
82 / 222
79 / 222
Government
PN Perikatan Nasional
National Alliance		 Right-wing populism Right-wing to far-right Muhyiddin Yassin 30.04%
74 / 222
67 / 222
Opposition
BN Barisan Nasional
National Front		 National conservatism Centre-right to right-wing Zahid Hamidi 22.24%
30 / 222
30 / 222
Government
GPS Gabungan Parti Sarawak
Sarawak Parties Alliance		 Sarawak regionalism
Conservatism 		Centre-right to right-wing Abang Johari 4.26%
23 / 222
23 / 222
Government
GRS Gabungan Rakyat Sabah
Sabah People's Coalition		 Sabah regionalism
Conservatism 		Centre-right to right-wing Hajiji Noor 1.25%
6 / 222
5 / 222
Government
WARISAN Parti Warisan
Heritage Party		 Sabah regionalism
Progressivism 		Centre Shafie Apdal 1.93%
3 / 222
3 / 222
Government

Prospective candidates

Timeline

Dissolution of parliament

The Constitution of Malaysia requires that a general election be held in the fifth calendar year after the first sitting unless it is dissolved earlier by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong following a motion of no confidence, loss of supply or a request by the prime minister.

The 15th Parliament of Malaysia first convened on 19 December 2022. If the term of the 15th Parliament reaches its maximum date, it will automatically dissolve on 19 December 2027, paving way for an election within 60 days. The latest date for the 16th General Election will therefore be on 17 February 2028.

Dissolution of state legislatures

While any state may dissolve its legislature independently of Parliament, most of them had historically dissolved at around the same time as Parliament such that federal and state elections are held simultaneously. In accordance with Malaysian law, Parliament as well as the legislative assemblies of each state would automatically expire on the fifth anniversary of the first sitting of a term, unless dissolved prior to that date by the relevant heads of state on the advice of their respective heads of government. Elections must be held within sixty days of expiry or dissolution.

Dates of the legislature of each state would expire and their actual dissolution dates
Legislature

(and term number)

Term beganRefsTerm ends

(on or before)

Latest possible

election date

Refs
Flag of Malacca.svg Malacca (15th)27 December 2021 [19] 27 December 202625 February 2027
Flag of Sarawak.svg Sarawak (19th)14 February 2022 [20] 14 February 202715 April 2027
Flag of Johor.svg Johor (15th)21 April 2022 [21] 21 April 202720 June 2027
Flag of Perlis.svg Perlis (15th)19 December 2022 [22] 19 December 202717 February 2028
Flag of Perak.svg Perak (15th)19 December 2022 [23] 19 December 202717 February 2028
Flag of Pahang.svg Pahang (15th)29 December 2022 [24] 29 December 202727 February 2028
Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg Penang (15th)29 August 2023 [25] 29 August 202828 October 2028
Flag of Kelantan.svg Kelantan (15th)5 September 2023 [26] 5 September 20284 November 2028
Flag of Selangor.svg Selangor (15th)19 September 2023 [27] 19 September 202818 November 2028
Flag of Terengganu.svg Terengganu (15th)24 September 2023 [28] 24 September 202823 November 2028
Flag of Kedah.svg Kedah (15th)25 September 2023 [29] 25 September 202824 November 2028
Flag of Negeri Sembilan.svg Negeri Sembilan (15th)26 September 2023 [30] 26 September 202825 November 2028
Flag of Sabah.svg Sabah (17th)11 December 202511 December 20309 February 2031

Last election pendulum

The 15th General Election witnessed 148 governmental seats and 74 non-governmental seats filled the Dewan Rakyat. The government side has 43 safe seats and 9 fairly safe seats, while the other side has 21 safe seats and 10 fairly safe seats.

Outgoing members of parliament

Members of the 15th Parliament who were not contesting the Next election
No.ConstituencyDeparting MPFirst electedPartyDate announcedReasonRefs
P159 Pasir Gudang Hassan Abdul Karim 2018 PH (PKR)9 March 2025Not seeking re-election [31]

Opinion polls

Opinion polls for the next Malaysian general election have been conducted by various organizations to gauge public support for political parties and coalitions. Below is a summary of recent polls.

National polls

National opinion polls
PollsterFieldwork dateSample size PH PN BN GPS GRS OthersLeadRef
Merdeka Centre1–7 November 20241,20036%29%20%8%5%2%PH +7% [32]
YouGov 15–20 October 20241,50033%27%23%10%5%2%PH +6% [33]
ISEAS 1–10 October 20242,00034%29%21%9%5%2%PH +5% [34]
Ilham Centre1–5 October 20241,00033%31%22%7%5%2%PH +2% [35]
Vodus 10–15 September 20241,80036%27%23%8%4%2%PH +9% [36]
2022 general election 19 November 202215,535,99238%30%22%4%1%5%PH +8%–

State-level polls

State-level opinion polls
StatePollsterFieldwork dateSample size PH PN BN GPS GRS OthersLeadRef
Selangor Merdeka Centre1–5 November 202580041%24%20%––15%PH +17% [37]
Johor Ilham Centre10–15 October 202570036%29%24%––11%PH +7% [38]
Sabah Vodus1–10 October 202560021%14%10%–50%5%GRS +29% [39]

Notes

  1. ↑ GPS only contests seats in Sarawak, insufficient to form government in their own right
  2. ↑ GRS only contests seats in Sabah and Labuan, insufficient to form government in their own right

References

  1. ↑ "Election Commission can consider redelineation of boundaries after March 2026, says deputy minister". The Edge. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Parliament session on Dec 19, motion of confidence on PM to be tabled - PM Anwar". Bernama. 24 November 2022. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "PN to stay as opposition bloc, to provide checks and balances to Anwar's unity govt". The Straits Times. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Syed Saddiq: Muda turns opposition as 'third force', withdraws from unity govt". Malay Mail. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Malaysia's 'Green Wave' Was a Long Time Coming". Fulcrum Singapore. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "'Green wave' sweeps over voters". The Star. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Iman Research: PAS' 'green wave' long time coming, came from lack of Pakatan presence and winning over first-time voters". Malay Mail. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "'Gelombang hijau' PAS akan berkembang dalam PRN, kata Hadi". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "ULASAN Kejutan 'Gelombang Hijau' dalam PRU15". Malaysia Kini. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Bangkitnya 'gelombang hijau' di Malaysia". Benar News. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Gahagan, Jeremy (20 November 2022). "Malaysia elects first ever hung parliament" . Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  12. 1 2 Ostwald, Kai (6 April 2020). "Malaysia 2020: The Impasse of Two-Coalition Politics" (PDF). ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "No Clear Winner as Malaysia Election Ends in Hung Parliament". AlJazeera. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Malaysia's Ruling Coalition Says It Accepts Election Results". Reuters. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  15. ↑ Khoo, Boo Teik. "Malay Politics and the Evolution of CoalitionBehaviour" (PDF). ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  16. ↑ NST Staff. "GRS victory reflects Sabah-centric politics". New Straits Times. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "Sabah election: Warisan increases its foothold". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  18. ↑ https://www.utusan.com.my/nasional/2025/10/asyraf-wajdi-diumum-calon-bn-parlimen-gerik/
  19. ↑ Othman, Farah Suhaidah (27 December 2021). "DUN Melaka – 20 ahli DUN angkat sumpah" (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "ADUN Sarawak angkat sumpah". Sinar Harian (in Malay). 14 February 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Hassim, Masuana (21 April 2022). "56 AHLI DEWAN UNDANGAN NEGERI (ADUN) JOHOR ANGKAT SUMPAH JAWATAN". Laman Web MKN (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  22. ↑ Sharif, Aizat (19 December 2022). "14 Adun PN angkat sumpah di Perlis [METROTV]". Harian Metro. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  23. ↑ abdulrahman (19 December 2022). "Sidang DUN Perak Ke-15 Bermula, 58 ADUN Angkat Sumpah - Malaysiaaktif" . Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  24. ↑ Yahya, Syahira (29 December 2022). "42 ADUN Pahang angkat sumpah". MalaysiaGazette. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  25. ↑ ROSLI, SYAJARATULHUDA MOHAMAD (29 August 2023). "40 ADUN Pulau Pinang angkat sumpah". Sinar Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ↑ ABDULLAH, YATIMIN (5 September 2023). "45 ADUN Kelantan selesai angkat sumpah hari ini". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ↑ Zain, Nizam (19 September 2023). "56 ADUN Selangor selesai angkat sumpah". MalaysiaGazette. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  28. ↑ KAMARUDDIN, KAMALIZA (24 September 2023). "Mohd. Nor dilantik Speaker DUN Terengganu baharu". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  29. ↑ HAMID, NURUL HIDAYAH (25 September 2023). "YDP Pas Langkawi angkat sumpah Speaker DUN Kedah". Sinar Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  30. ↑ ISA, BADRUL HAFIZAN MAT (26 September 2023). "ADUN di Negeri Sembilan angkat sumpah jawatan hari ini". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  31. ↑ Mohamed Farid Noh (9 March 2025). "Hassan Karim umum tak tanding PRU-16" (in Malay). Berita Harian . Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  32. ↑ "National Poll by Merdeka Centre". 8 November 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.[ dead link ]
  33. ↑ "National Poll by YouGov". 21 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  34. ↑ "National Poll by ISEAS". 11 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  35. ↑ "National Poll by Ilham Centre". 6 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  36. ↑ "National Poll by Vodus". 16 September 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.[ dead link ]
  37. ↑ "Selangor Poll by Merdeka Centre". 6 November 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.[ dead link ]
  38. ↑ "Johor Poll by Ilham Centre". 16 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  39. ↑ "GE15 Election Poll Prediction". 11 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
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