A politician from Malaysia's ruling party has proposed that an electoral reform activist be executed. Outside the residence of an opposition state leader, mock funeral ceremonies were conducted. At a political rally, eggs and rocks were thrown. Malaysia has a history of political controversies and scandals, but the recent increase in aggressive language and violence, particularly towards the opposition, has surprised even experienced observers as the country approaches its most heated and closely contested election in April. Lim Guan Eng, the Chinese chief minister of Penang state and a prominent figure in Malaysia's opposition, expressed concern about the upcoming election being the dirtiest and most violent. He also highlighted the symbolic threat made by members of Perkasa, a group advocating for Malay rights with ties to the ruling party, who placed a flower garland around a photo of him as a funeral ritual. The political tension is increasing as Malaysia's ruling coalition, in power since independence in 1957, is expected to struggle to improve upon its poor electoral performance in 2008, when it lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority, five state governments to the opposition, and saw the ouster of then prime minister Abdullah Badawi. According to a source within the dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO), recent internal polling has revealed that the coalition is facing challenges in regaining its two-thirds majority and even risks losing its simple majority. The polls indicated that the coalition may lose more states and is facing a tough race in southern Johor state, a traditional stronghold for UMNO, due to decreasing support from ethnic Chinese. This potential outcome has led to a delay in the elections, as stated by the senior UMNO source. Independent polls conducted by the Merdeka Centre show that while Prime Minister Najib Razak has a strong approval rating of around 65 percent, the coalition's popularity is much lower at approximately 48 percent. Najib has delayed the election, which is required to be held by next April, indicating his uncertain confidence in surpassing the performance from 2008. Ooi Kee Beng, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, stated that UMNO is aware that their power is not guaranteed and that there is a possibility of change happening for the first time since 1969. This year marked by race riots after significant election gains by ethnic Chinese, leading to the implementation of economic privileges for majority ethnic Malays over Chinese and Indian minorities in the country. A police report was filed against UMNO lawmaker Mohamad Aziz by the opposition after he questioned in parliament whether leading electoral reform campaigner Ambiga Sreenevasan should be hanged for treason. Although the lawmaker later retracted his statement, he was not disciplined by the party leadership. Sreenevasan, who has received an International Woman of Courage award, has reported receiving death threats and has taken measures to ensure her safety, such as hiring a bodyguard and installing security cameras around her home in Kuala Lumpur. She has also faced calls for her Malaysian citizenship to be revoked and has been labeled the "anti-Christ" by the right-wing Perkasa group. Sreenevasan expressed her disappointment with the constant hate speech, mentioning that the leadership could have intervened but chose not to. Following a protest she led in Kuala Lumpur for electoral reforms, former soldiers and market traders protested outside her house, claiming a loss of earnings. Some even resorted to daily "exercises" involving pointing their buttocks towards her house. People who are close to Najib characterize him as a gentleman who does not engage in dirty politics. However, the opposition argues that his reluctance to strongly condemn acts of violence and intimidation has emboldened extremists. Following the controversial "hanging" comment in parliament, he advised coalition MPs to refrain from making statements that could offend other races or component parties within the coalition. Malaysia's Home Minister, Hishamuddin Hussein, acknowledged the existence of political intimidation in the country, stating that the current political climate is highly charged. Lim, a member of the opposition who was detained for 18 months in 1986 and spent another year in prison for sedition, expressed that the policy has moved beyond mere approval. He accused Barisan Nasional of actively supporting and condoning the acts. Lim has also reported experiencing physical intimidation in recent months. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader who was imprisoned for six years on what he claims were false charges of sodomy and corruption, held UMNO responsible for an incident in February where his car was attacked by a group of youths in Johor state. Anwar's daughter, opposition MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, stated that a rally in her area in May was disrupted by men throwing rocks, water bottles, and eggs, resulting in injuries. This incident was part of a pattern of opposition rallies being disrupted, sometimes violently, in recent months. Opposition leaders are uncertain about the identity of the attackers, but they criticize the police for not apprehending the culprits or promptly addressing the violent incidents.