Voters cast ballots in bellwether Malaysian state election

MALACCA, Malaysia (AP) — Voters wearing masks are casting their ballots in a Malaysian state election that pits Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Malay party against its allies in the government for the first time amid a widening rift. Saturday’s polls in southern Malacca state are seen as a bellwether for voting behavior that could shape political alliances in national elections, which are not due until 2023 but are widely expected to be called next year. The poll is a three-way fight between a camp led by Ismail’s United Malays National Organization, its allies and the opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim. A victory would be a boost for UMNO, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 elections following a multibillion-dollar financial scandal.