Malaysia election live: Voting starts in tightest race in years

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysians are casting their ballots Saturday in a watershed election, with multiple parties running neck and neck amid global economic headwinds.

Nearly 1,000 candidates — the oldest being 97-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad — are battling for 221 parliamentary seats, one fewer than expected due to a candidate’s sudden death. The latest surveys showed none of the three major camps on track to win at least half the seats, needed to form the government.

The opposition Hope Pact led by longtime leadership aspirant Anwar Ibrahim aims to recover the mandate it won in 2018, which was snatched away by the incumbent National Front through unprecedented political maneuvering. The core of the National Front, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO), sees that loss as a blip in its otherwise uninterrupted run in power since independence.

Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, leader of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu), is also angling for a comeback.

Much may depend on turnout. Young voters could also sway the outcome, as up to 1.4 million people between the ages of 18 and 21 will be voting for the first time, after the eligibility threshold was lowered. Overall, there are about 21.17 million voters on the rolls.

Ballot counting will start as soon as polling ends at 6 p.m. local time. The results should crystallize by the wee hours of Sunday.

If there is no clear winner, the coalition with the largest bloc of seats will need to join forces with smaller groups.

Read our full Malaysian election guide.

Here are the latest updates (local time):

11:10 a.m. Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the opposition coalition Hope Pact, arrives at a polling center in Penang state and casts his vote alongside many other citizens. Ismail Sabri Yaakob, prime minister and vice president in the ruling UMNO, is also seen casting his ballot in Bera, Pahang state.

Women show their inked fingers after voting at a polling center in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 19. (Photo by Hakimie Amrie)

8:00 a.m. Election day is underway as the polls fully open. A key question is how the monsoon season might affect turnout. The Meteorological Department gave a mixed forecast for election day, with rain expected in some parts of the country.

7:00 a.m. Pollster Merdeka Center For Opinion Research in its latest survey on Friday projected opposition coalition Hope Pact to lead with 82 seats, out of 221, followed by National Alliance with 43. UMNO-led National Front is expected to garner 15 seats, with 45 considered a tossup.