NOVEMBER 2 — The decision of the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) to boycott the Melaka state election on November 14, 2026, should not be dismissed as a minor disagreement over seat allocations.
Neither should the dissatisfaction of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), which has been reduced to just two seats under Barisan Nasional (BN).
Taken together, these developments reveal something more fundamental about Malaysian politics: the increasing marginalisation of non-Malay component parties within coalitions that continue to proclaim their multiracial credentials.
This is a sobering development. For decades, Malaysia’s political stability rested partly on the ability of different ethnic communities to participate meaningfully in governing coalitions.
