A politician from the ruling party in Malaysia has proposed that an electoral reform activist be executed. Mock funeral ceremonies were conducted outside the residence of an opposition state leader. Eggs and rocks were thrown at a political rally. Malaysia has a history of political scandals and mudslinging, but the recent increase in aggressive language and violence, particularly towards the political opposition, has surprised even experienced observers as the country approaches its upcoming highly contested election in April. Lim Guan Eng, the Chinese chief minister of Penang state and a prominent figure in Malaysia's opposition, expressed concern that the upcoming election would be marked by extreme dirtiness and violence. In May, members of Perkasa, a group advocating for ethnic Malay rights with ties to the ruling party, performed a funeral ritual outside Lim's home by placing a flower garland around his photo, which his supporters interpreted as a threat on his life. This political tension is occurring as Malaysia's ruling coalition, which has been in power since 1957, is facing challenges in improving upon its poor electoral performance in 2008. This performance resulted in the opposition gaining control of five state governments and the removal of then prime minister Abdullah Badawi. According to a source within the dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO), recent internal polling has shown that the coalition is struggling to regain its two-thirds share and may even be in danger of losing its simple majority. The polls indicate that the coalition is at risk of losing more states and is facing a closer race in southern Johor state, which has traditionally been a stronghold for UMNO, due to decreasing support from ethnic Chinese. The source from UMNO expressed concern about the potential impact of these results, stating that it would be a significant setback. The delay in holding elections is reportedly due to these findings. Independent polls from the Merdeka Centre show that while Prime Minister Najib Razak has a strong approval rating of around 65 percent, his coalition is much less popular, polling at approximately 48 percent. Najib has delayed calling for the election, which must be held by next April, indicating his lack of confidence in surpassing the performance of 2008. Ooi Kee Beng, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, stated that UMNO is aware that their grasp on power is not guaranteed. He also mentioned that there is a possibility of change occurring for the first time since 1969, which could lead to more drastic actions being taken. The country in Southeast Asia experienced race riots in 1969 after significant election gains by ethnic Chinese, resulting in the current system of economic privileges for majority ethnic Malays over Chinese and Indian minorities. Relentless hate speech has been directed at leading electoral reform campaigner Ambiga Sreenevasan, prompting the opposition to file a police report against UMNO lawmaker Mohamad Aziz. Aziz had questioned in parliament whether Sreenevasan should be hanged for treason, but later retracted his statement. Despite this, he faced no disciplinary action from his party. Sreenevasan, who received an International Woman of Courage award, has reported receiving death threats and has taken measures to ensure her safety, including hiring a bodyguard and installing security cameras at her home in Kuala Lumpur. The ethnic Indian activist has also been targeted by 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 at the continuous hate speech and lack of action from leadership. Following her leadership in a protest for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur, former soldiers and market traders protested outside her house, claiming a loss of earnings from the demonstration. Some even performed daily "exercises" by pointing their buttocks towards her house in a disrespectful manner. People who know Najib well say he is a polite man who avoids dirty politics. However, critics argue that his reluctance to strongly condemn acts of violence and intimidation has emboldened extremists. Following a controversial comment in parliament, he cautioned coalition MPs against making statements that could offend other races or parties within the coalition. Malaysia's Home Minister, Hishamuddin Hussein, acknowledged the prevalence of political intimidation in the current politically charged environment. Lim, a member of the opposition who was detained for 18 months under the now-repealed Internal Security Act and spent another year in prison for sedition, believes that the government's support for such acts has surpassed mere approval. He accused Barisan Nasional of endorsing and encouraging these actions. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition's leader who was imprisoned on charges of sodomy and corruption that he claims were fabricated, blamed UMNO 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, reported that a rally in her constituency in May was disrupted by men throwing rocks, water bottles, and eggs, leading to several injuries. This was just one of many opposition gatherings that have been disturbed, sometimes violently, in recent months. The responsible parties for the attacks are unknown, however, opposition leaders are expressing frustration that the police have not been able to apprehend the perpetrators or promptly address the violence.