2018 Malaysian general election

First Transition and Collapse · Chronicle · 7 min read

Why Did the 2018 Election Change Government?

Mahathir Returns to the Forefront, Anwar Still in Prison, and the Night the 61-Year Rule Ended

On May 9, 2018, Pakatan Harapan secured a parliamentary majority, and Barisan Nasional lost federal power for the first time. Mahathir was sworn in the next day, and Anwar was subsequently pardoned; this decisive transition proved that power could be changed through the ballot box, but it did not automatically resolve the succession and trust issues between the two men.