Voters disappointed with split Malaysia's election

Malaysians expressed disappointment on Sunday (November 20) after a tightly contested election resulted in a hung parliament for the first time in its history.

The country's rival blocs are seeking support from others to build a majority alliance to form a government after none has secured a simple majority. Without a clear winner, political uncertainty could persist as Malaysia faces slowing economic growth and rising inflation.

"Just disappointed," Daniel, a Malaysian voter who returned from Singapore over the weekend for the poll said. "It's a fair representation of democracy in this country but is not the result I was hoping for," he added.

Political analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said the election showed that the country is more divided than expected, yet the election showcased the 'maturity' of Malaysian voters and kept the performance of the parliament members in check.

The palace has called each political party to present the name of a lawmaker it thinks has the majority support in the lower house of parliament. The next coalition will not have a convincing majority and could be plagued with more infighting, hurting the economy. Voters, frustrated with the instability, may bristle at a new government if it includes the losing parties.