Battle for Tambun: Anwar faces high-stakes fight to hold his seat

IPOH, Perak – A sitting prime minister’s constituency is typically regarded as a ruling-party stronghold. But for Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, his seat may prove to be an exception.

While the next general election is not due until early 2028, alarm bells have already gone off about Anwar’s Tambun constituency in Perak. An internal analysis from Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which was leaked to the local media in May 2026, has found that it could be a marginal seat.

As it is, Anwar had won Tambun, which he contested for the first time in the 2022 General Election, only by the skin of his teeth. He won the seat – located on the outskirts of Perak’s state capital Ipoh – by just a 3 per cent margin in a three-cornered fight against UMNO and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). He would have lost if his two opponents had joined forces.

With the potential consolidation of Malay votes by UMNO and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), which teamed up in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls, Anwar’s grip on Tambun has come under even greater threat.

What is in Anwar’s favour

Still, Anwar’s prime minister status commands respect among local residents in Tambun, including fruit seller Adira Mohajiri, 31.

“He (Anwar) still has strong influence. His political secretary Kamil Munim has delivered aid to the poor and needy,” Adira told The Straits Times on Aug 8, as he busied himself packing freshly harvested durians for customers at midday.

Regarding PKR’s local presence, Arafat Varisai Mahamad, 42, state assemblyman for Hulu Kinta – a seat under the Tambun constituency – organises monthly town halls to listen to villagers and distribute aid. One such event was held in a mosque compound on Aug 8.

During the event, villagers submitted various requests, ranging from roof repairs to healthcare assistance. But the most pressing request came from the local village committee, which proposed the construction of a 100-capacity community hall.

“The hall is crucial for weddings, community events and committee meetings. We don’t have a proper meeting place and now have to use the mosque compound,” village committee secretary Shafari Hamdan, 52 told ST. Arafat has promised to expedite the application for allocation.

Amir Sabri, 37, chief special officer to the Tambun MP, said Anwar has exercised prudent spending to manage national finances. Under Anwar, the Finance Ministry said the fiscal deficit fell to 3.8 per cent in 2025 from 5.6 per cent in 2022 when he took office.

“Some are concerned that existing halls nearby are underused. People may not like it, but as parents, we should not burden future generations with debt,” Amir, who is Perak PKR chief, told ST.

He produced a list showing RM12.06 million (S$3.78 million) in parliamentary funds disbursed between 2023 and August 2026: RM5.36 million to the Malay community, RM3.68 million to the Indian community, and RM3.02 million to the Chinese community for local needs.

Potential PAS rival

However, some villagers view Hafez Sabri, 40, the PAS assemblyman for Manjoi – another state seat under the Tambun constituency – as more popular. Hafez is Amir’s elder brother.

“I’m not sure about the presence of Anwar’s team, but I’ve seen Hafez on the ground many times. Even during emergencies like fires, his team is always the first to arrive with help,” fruit seller Sirajmunir Mohajiri, 29, told ST. A campaign poster of Hafez hung behind his stall.

Home to Perak’s largest urban Malay settlement, Manjoi was the only urban seat won by PAS in the 2022 election. The party’s 16 other state seats and four parliamentary seats in Perak are largely semi-urban or rural.

Hafez engages actively in local music and sports activities that conform to the Islamic law, which makes him appealing to the youth.

“I am a fan of music and sports. We are not just a ‘parti kopiah’ (skullcap party); we are for everyone. I recently organised a traditional music festival for rebana and kompang drums to revive traditional Malay music,” Hafez, who is also deputy PAS national youth chief, told ST. The parti kopiah refers to the stereotype that PAS focuses solely on religious devotion.

At the party’s annual assembly on Sept 3, Hafez congratulated DACS XVICTIM, an e-sports team under PAS Youth, for reaching the grand finals of the PUBG Mobile Pro League.

“PAS is well known for politics and welfare, but PAS Youth is also well versed in gaming, bro,” he said in a Facebook post on Sept 3.

Waning support

Another challenge for Anwar is waning support from Chinese and Indian voters, PKR’s traditional base. Internal party analysis showed Chinese support fell 2 per cent while Indian support dropped 30 per cent in the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan polls, compared with the 2022 General Election.

A marketing executive who identified herself as Shi, 33, originally from Tambun, is less motivated to return home from Kuala Lumpur to vote. “Good economic indicators haven’t improved our daily lives. I braved the traffic jam from Kuala Lumpur to vote last time, but now, I can’t be bothered,” she said.

Indian Muslim restaurateur Majid, 60, expressed dissatisfaction with federal delays in approving foreign worker quotas: “I had five workers previously. Now it’s just me and my mother running the place. I am not happy with Anwar.”

On Aug 5, Anwar instructed the Human Resources Ministry to expedite 15,000 foreign worker applications to address labour shortages, particularly at Indian-Muslim restaurants.

Political analyst Kamles Kumar noted that if Malay unity between UMNO and PAS continues into the next general election due in February 2028, no seat held by the PKR-led Pakatan Harapan coalition would be safe.

“A prime minister who is visibly stretched across national duties will always face questions about ground presence versus a well-resourced local challenger. I wouldn’t call Tambun at risk just yet, but it’s no longer the safe win it looked like in 2022,” the Malaysia country lead at Asia Group Advisors told ST.