A politician from Malaysia's ruling party has proposed that an electoral reform activist be hanged, while mock funeral ceremonies were conducted outside the residence of an opposition state leader. Eggs and rocks were thrown at a political rally, reflecting the country's long history of political mud-slinging and scandal. However, the recent increase in inflammatory language and violence, particularly targeting the political opposition, has surprised even experienced observers as Malaysia approaches its most heated and closely contested election scheduled for next April. Lim Guan Eng, the ethnic Chinese chief minister of Penang state and a prominent figure in Malaysia's opposition, expressed concern that the upcoming election could be the most corrupt and violent yet. He also mentioned that members of Perkasa, a group advocating for ethnic Malay rights with ties to the ruling party, performed a funeral ritual outside his home in May, which his supporters viewed as a threat. The escalating political tensions coincide with indications that Malaysia's ruling coalition, in power since 1957, may struggle to improve on their electoral performance from 2008, when they lost their two-thirds parliamentary majority and several state governments to the opposition. This ultimately led to the removal of then prime minister Abdullah Badawi. A recent internal poll within UMNO revealed that the coalition is facing challenges in regaining its two-thirds majority and could potentially even lose its simple majority. The polls indicated that the coalition may lose more states and is in a tighter race than expected in Johor state, traditionally a stronghold for UMNO, due to decreasing support from ethnic Chinese voters. A senior UMNO source expressed concern over the potential outcome, attributing a delay in elections to this issue. Independent polls conducted by the Merdeka Centre show that while Prime Minister Najib Razak maintains a strong approval rating of around 65 percent, the coalition's popularity is lower at around 48 percent. Najib has delayed the election, which must take place 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, suggesting a potential for change that has not been seen since 1969. This year marked by race riots following significant election victories by ethnic Chinese, leading to the implementation of economic privileges for majority ethnic Malays over Chinese and Indian minorities. Relentless hate speech was directed towards leading electoral reform campaigner Ambiga Sreenevasan by UMNO lawmaker Mohamad Aziz, prompting the opposition to file a police report. Aziz had asked in parliament whether Sreenevasan should be hanged for treason, but retracted his remark two days later without any action taken by the party leadership. Sreenevasan, who has received an International Woman of Courage award, has reported receiving death threats and has taken measures such as hiring a bodyguard and installing security cameras around her home in Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, she has faced calls for her citizenship to be revoked and has been labeled the "anti-Christ" by the right-wing Perkasa group. Sreenevasan expressed frustration over the continuous spread of hate speech, criticizing the lack of action from leadership. Despite leading a protest for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur, she faced backlash from former soldiers and market traders who camped outside her house, claiming a loss of earnings. Some protesters even resorted to disrespectful acts, such as pointing their buttocks towards her house. People who know Najib well say he is a polite man who avoids getting involved in dirty politics. However, the opposition believes that his lack of strong condemnation of violence and intimidation has emboldened extremists. Following a controversial comment made in parliament, he cautioned coalition MPs against making statements that could offend other ethnic groups or 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 from the opposition, who was detained for 18 months in 1986 under the now-repealed Internal Security Act and spent another year in prison for sedition, stated that the policy had surpassed mere approval. He claimed that the acts were endorsed and supported by Barisan Nasional, citing several incidents of physical intimidation against him in recent months. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition's leader who served six years in jail on charges of sodomy and corruption that he believes were fabricated, accused UMNO of being responsible for an incident in February when a group of youths threw stones at his car in Johor state. Anwar's daughter, opposition MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, reported that a rally in her constituency in May was disrupted by individuals throwing rocks, water bottles, and eggs, resulting in numerous injuries. This was just one of many opposition rallies that have been disrupted, sometimes violently, in recent months. It is not known who was responsible for the attacks, however, leaders of the opposition have criticized the police for their failure to apprehend the culprits or promptly address the acts of violence.