COMMENT | Malaysia’s grand ol’ party Umno is arguably facing one of the most serious electoral challenges of its lifetime, coming after its worst defeat in GE15.

The party currently holds 41 seats in the six states holding polls, with the overwhelming majority of these under threat of potential loss.

Last night, it announced 108 candidates/seats. The state polls will be critical for the party’s future; they will determine whether Umno is still a national party or relegated to being a secondary regional one.

Some go even as far as to predict a “wipeout” for the party, given the seriousness of the electoral challenges it faces.

In this fifth piece for Malaysiakini, I look at...