Barisan Nasional Keeps Beating Election Drumbeat, Vows Efforts To Win In Selangor

The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance held a one-day convention in the state of Selangor, with its leaders seeking to mobilise grassroots members amid speculation about the timing of the next general election.

• Selangor is Malaysia's economic powerhouse and the largest contributor to national GDP. There are 22 Dewan Rakyat seats allocated to the coastal state out of the total 222. As of today, 16 Selangor representatives to the Dewan Rakyat are aligned with the opposition.
• The state legislature is also controlled by Pakatan Harapan, whose MPs occupy opposition benches in the national assembly, and it has been so since 2008. By convention, elections to the State Assembly are held concurrently with the national general election.
• As a reminder, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri is now free to call a snap election whenever he wants, which will likely be a result of strategic calculations surrounding UMNO's own electoral chances and internal party dynamics.
• During the Barisan Nasional convention, former Prime Minister Najib told the audience that the coalition is "tired" of being in the opposition in Selangor, while Ismail Sabri called on members to "start working as if the election is tomorrow."
• Trying to win back Selangor seems like a long shot from Barisan Nasional and most analysts consider such outcome very unlikely. Still, some see attempts to mobilise BN members as a sign of general election drawing nearer.