Can Malaysia’s unity government survive a state poll fight?

Eyebrows were raised and pulses quickened in Malaysia when the Negeri Sembilan state government teetered last month.

Like several other states, Negeri Sembilan has been jointly run by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) – the two pillars of the national unity government.
The state has since become the latest to call a local election, raising questions about the national coalition’s solidity and whether the country is heading towards a snap poll some 18 months before the next general...