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Malaysia Set for State Election as Court Dismisses Challenge

Malaysia Set for State Election as Court Dismisses Challenge

Malaysia is set for its first state-level polls since Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin assumed power after a local court threw out a legal challenge.

The court dismissed an application for a judicial review of the dissolution of Sabah’s state assembly in July, clearing the way for the state to hold an election set for Sept. 26. The assemblymen who filed the application have submitted an appeal over the Friday ruling.

“There should now be no uncertainty as to whether the state election should continue or not,” said Sabah Attorney-General Brenndon Keith Soh on Friday.

More than a million Malaysians in the state of Sabah are registered to vote for either Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government, which holds a razor-thin majority in parliament, or the loose federal opposition alliance known as “Pakatan Plus.” While the polls in Sabah won’t directly affect the parliament’s composition, it could serve as a signal of the government’s support.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.