Candidate List For Malaysia's GE15 Unveiled, Ismail Sabri Confirmed As BN's Choice For PM

Malaysia's caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri confirmed that he remains his party's candidate for the top job after the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15) as the Electoral Commission released the full list of candidates over the weekend.

• The November 19 poll will see a record 945 candidates contesting in all 222 Dewan Rakyat seats, with just nine one-to-one races and a historic number of independent candidates. The job of electoral forecasters is frustrated by the crowded field with many multi-way contests, Malaysia's notoriously fragmented and complex political system, as well as the addition of millions of voters to the electoral roll due to a lower voting age and automatic voter registration.
• Adding to the political uncertainty is the prospect of disruption caused by the monsoon season, which the Prime Minister said could affect the poll. In case there are massive floods, it would be up to the Electoral Commission to decide whether to halt the voting. MetMalaysia said last week that the flooding season was expected to begin on November 7.
• Recent surveys showed that economic matters are the top priority for Malaysian voters, with main political alliances focusing their campaign efforts on demonstrating their credentials on that front. The ruling Barisan Nasional bloc is de facto campaigning on the platform of Budget 2023, while the weekend saw Perikatan Nasional unveil a manifesto revolving around "bread and butter" issues.
• Leaders of the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional alliance confirmed that Ismail Sabri remains the bloc's poster boy and candidate for Prime Minister, pushing back against accusations that UMNO leader Zahid was looking to replace the Premier.