00:00Why so many elections? Have you voted in a state election recently?
00:04And did you have to return to the ballot box again just a few years later?
00:10Well, that could become the new normal in Malaysia.
00:13We have crunched the numbers and the upcoming Melaka and Sarwakpuls will bring the total number of state elections since
00:19GE15 to a record 11.
00:22So, why are state elections held separately? And what does this mean for voters?
00:28Let's look at the numbers.
00:30Between GE14 in 2018 and GE15 in 2022, only four state elections were held.
00:37But since GE15, the number has jumped to 11, including the upcoming polls in Melaka and Sarwak.
00:44The main reason? Not every state wants to follow the federal election timeline.
00:49When parliaments were dissolved in 2022, only Pahang, Perlis and Perak dissolved their state and assemblies at the same time.
00:57Six other states held the elections together in August 2023.
01:02Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan then held separate polls.
01:07Now, it is Melaka's turn, followed by Sarwak.
01:10Why does this matter?
01:12Political analysts say this trend is likely to continue.
01:15Malaysia's political landscape has changed.
01:18No single party dominates both the federal and state governments.
01:22This gives state governments more reasons to choose their own election dates based on their political interests and chances of
01:30winning.
01:30But there is a cause.
01:32Separate elections means parties must spend more on campaigns and there is also a cause of holding elections.
01:39For example, the election commission spent 725 million ringgit on GE15, while the state elections in 2023 were estimated to
01:48cost 420 million ringgit.
01:50Voters also have to return to the polls more often.
01:54And while voter fatigue is a concern, each state has its own issues that can still draw people to vote.
02:01So, could Malaysia return to holding state and general elections together?
02:06Analysts say that would be difficult unless one party becomes dominant at both federal and state levels.
02:13So, for now, separate elections appear to stay.
02:17And with Melaka and Sarwak next, Malaysia's changing election calendar is something voters and political parties will have to get
02:25used to.
