Malaysia’s Opposition Pact Poses ‘Credible Threat’ to Mahathir

  • Opposition parties UMNO, PAS signed a unity charter Saturday
  • Mahathir’s coalition has sought support from Malay majority

Mahathir Mohamad.

Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
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A pact between Malaysia’s biggest opposition parties is set to pose a key challenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s multiracial coalition that has sought to win support from the Malay Muslim majority.

United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, the largest party in the alliance that ruled the country for six decades before being ousted last year, and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, signed a unity charter to formalize their alliance on Saturday. Combined, they hold a quarter of the seats in parliament, while Mahathir’s coalition holds more than half.