For almost half a century, Malaysian voters had a simple choice: They could opt for the National Front coalition, which had run the country since its independence in 1957, or they could pick an opposition candidate. Independent candidates were rare and usually unsuccessful.
That all ended with the 2018 elections, where voters overturned decades of control by the ruling coalition. In this year’s election, taking place on Nov. 19, voters have a bewildering range of candidates, parties, and coalitions. That includes 108 independents, the highest in the country’s history, and a constantly shifting range of alliances among established and novice parties.
In the central Kuala Lumpur district of Ampang, for example, nine candidates are completing: three independents and six party members, including one from each of the four main coalition blocs. The incumbent member for Ampang, Zuraida Kamaruddin, has held the seat since 2008, but switched parties twice in that time, most recently in May.
