Melaka Election: Anwar Urges Voters to Reject Religion Exploiters and the Corrupt in Eve-of-Poll Post

KUALA LUMPUR, November 13, 2026 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday night urged Melaka voters to use their ballots in the 16th Melaka state election to reject those he said exploit religion for political gain and those involved in corruption, Bernama reported.

In a Facebook post on the eve of polling, Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said Melaka voters had a chance to send a firm message and to be a source of hope for people who want to see the country free of corruption.

“Over the past few days, we have seen the true face of a ‘unity’… for the sake of votes and power, they were willing to exploit religion by issuing fatwas that permit support for the corrupt, demonising opponents, and even likening the choice of vote to the obligation of ablution,” he wrote, according to Bernama.

“Tomorrow, the people of Melaka have the chance to deliver a firm message through the ballot box… reject those who exploit religion and those who hide behind the mask of defending their race but in reality uphold the corrupt,” he said.

Anwar did not name any party or individual in the quoted passages. He said that silence and tolerance towards corruption had damaged the country for too long and had to be ended through voters’ choices.

“We stop it at the ballot box tomorrow. Save Melaka. Save the country. Vote HARAPAN,” he said.

The post came hours after a separate eve-of-poll message from Anwar on his X account, in which he questioned the “save the Malays” rhetoric used by rival parties during the campaign.

Bernama’s report did not carry a response from Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) or any other party to the Facebook post. Earlier on Friday, in a separate exchange during the campaign, the office of PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said a news report had taken one of his campaign speeches out of context, and rejected what it called attempts to stir up racial sentiment ahead of polling day, Malay Mail reported. During the campaign, BN and PN leaders have also made their own appeals to Melaka voters, including calls to back BN for stability.

The 14-day campaign ended at 11.59pm on Friday. The Election Commission (EC) has said 675,166 ordinary voters are eligible to cast their ballots on Saturday (November 14) to fill 28 state assembly seats, with 79 candidates, including three independents, in the contest following nomination on October 31, according to Bernama. The EC has said it expects turnout of about 70 per cent.

Source : Bernama, Malay Mail

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