ANALYSIS | As the Semenyih by-election campaign entered the final lap, it became increasingly clear that the by-election for a state legislative assembly has national level consequences for the two main participants.

For the incumbent Pakatan Harapan, this campaign saw the coalition fielding far more top leaders and cabinet ministers as vote canvassers compared to the previous five by-elections.

While the past five by-elections saw second-tier Harapan leaders leading the campaigns, Bersatu assigned its president Muhyiddin Yassin to lead the charge and serve as the main spokesperson in Semenyih.

At stake is whether the proof of mandate is necessary to pursue reforms at a time when there is public grumblings over federal government for tightening purse strings and opinion polls showing Harapan’s support trending downwards...