MALAYSIA A. Political Situations Since 2018, Malaysia’s politics have been unstable. Barisan Nasional (BN), the political coalition that had ruled Malaysia for decades since independence, was defeated for the first time in the 2018 General Election (GE14). Mahathir Mohamad, then leading the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, became prime minister for the second time. However, his government lasted only 22 months, ending after an event dubbed the “Sheraton Move,” in which members of the ruling coalition plotted to withdraw from the government. The government then collapsed, plunging Malaysia into a political crisis ahead of the 2022 General Election (GE15). The outcome of GE15 marked a significant political development: the rise of a hardline Muslim conservative party, the Malaysian Islamic Party or Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). As part of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, PAS became the single party with the most seats in parliament, winning 43 out of 222 seats in the lower house178. 178. Zainudin, Faiz. “PAS Aiming for 80 Seats in GE16, Says Vice-President.” Free Malaysia Today, 13 Sep. 2025, www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/09/13/pas-aiming-for-80-seats-in-ge16says-nik-amar. 44