A defeat in the upcoming by-election would force Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his coalition to return to the drawing board instead of riding on the notion that non-Malays and liberal Malaysians have no other option, said an expert.

This notion, Wong Chin Huat said, had also contributed to the government's inaction or slow response to ethno-religious controversies like the one involving KK Mart.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, the political scientist described...