Fissures along ethnic lines are being opened ahead of the Johor state election in Malaysia next month, as the Malay-nationalist Barisan Nasional (BN) moves to box in the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP), and political imperatives pit key government coalition members against each other.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helms an uneasy coalition of erstwhile political rivals. He is seeking to keep his Pakatan Harapan unity government – with the DAP as a core member – on an even keel until national elections due in 2028.

But state polls threaten cleavages within that government, including in southernmost Johor, where elections set for July 11 have already seen ethnic divisions emerge as the safest vote-getter.

Johor has been a stronghold of BN and its component Malay party Umno, Malaysia’s longest-governing political coalition until it was unceremoniously removed from power in 2018 following a wave of corruption scandals.

DAP, a multi-ethnic platform mistrusted by Malays who perceive it as a threat to the dominance of their ethnic group, is also contesting 17 seats in Johor.