The two opposing coalitions are capitalising on their weakest components – Amanah and Gerakan – in their bid to win Malay and non-Malay votes respectively.

Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy warns against 'wishful and immature' thinking.

P Ramasamy says that while the prime minister does read the Malay mind, whether he reads it correctly seems unclear.

Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin says Anwar Ibrahim's lack of Malay support is 'unprecedented'.

He says the government has never sidestepped Islam as the official religion, the sovereignty of the Malay rulers, the special rights of the Malays, and Bahasa Melayu as the national language.

Three keen observers of Malaysian politics agree that Malay support is still the biggest hurdle for Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

The BN component party says DAP must clearly state that it is no longer opposed to the quota system for the Malays and Bumiputeras.

The former prime minister says not voting will mean choosing candidates with 'evil intentions'.

They say the dispute surrounding the use of the word 'Allah' will also affect support for the government.

The former leader responds to the prime minister's recent comparison of Cambodia's Buddhist majority and Malay-Muslims in Malaysia.

While the state government as a whole is unlikely to change, support in Malay seats might swing along the trajectory seen at GE15.

The former prime minister says he is now unable to speak about the challenges faced by the Malays even in his own country.