Islamists backed by young voters gain clout in South-East Asia

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Political leaders in South-East Asia‘s biggest Muslim-majority nations got a reminder from Malaysia last week that the battle for the hearts and minds of voters is shifting, and religious conservatism is gaining ground.

In provincial elections last weekend in Malaysia, far-right Islamist groups strengthened their hold on three of six states up for grabs. While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s multi-cultural coalition retained the three states it controlled previously, it saw Islamists wrest more seats away in Selangor, the wealthiest state still under its rule.