In the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, corruption took a back seat, relegated to the periphery of public consciousness. The rhetoric of Malay unity is not new but has been intensifying. This narrative frames elections as contests for Malay political leadership and warns against a federal government allegedly dominated by DAP. When this happens, this “Malay unity coalition” is likely to achieve an easy simple majority at GE16. In Negeri Sembilan, the racial split with opposition forces being all non-Malays could further entrench communal voting patterns.