Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s Malay party has defeated its allies in the ruling party and the opposition to score a landslide victory in a second state election that could presage early national polls.

Saturday’s big win in southern Johor state by the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, mirrored its victory in another state election in November and will embolden supporters to escalate demands for early general elections, which are not due till July 2023.

The UMNO-led National Front coalition governed Malaysia for 61 years until its shocking ouster in 2018 due to a multibillion-dollar financial scandal. But the reformist alliance that won those polls collapsed in 2020 due to defections and the National Front made a comeback as part of a new government.

The new government, however, is plagued by infighting with the National Front, going up against some of its allies in both state elections.