KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Malaysia’s Parliament approved plans to redraw the electoral map amid protests that it provides Prime Minister Najib Razak an unfair advantage in coming national elections.
Before the vote, several hundred demonstrators gathered on Wednesday outside Parliament, which passed the changes to districts by a vote of 129 to 80. Opposition politicians say the changes squeeze more voters in their camp into fewer districts, often in urban areas, giving disproportionate weight to rural constituencies, which tend to back the ruling National Front coalition. Elections must be held by August but could be called in the next few weeks.
The changes could tilt the outcome in favor of Mr. Najib, despite a long-running financial scandal rocking state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB. They also add to questions about the strength of democracy in Muslim-majority Malaysia. The country has long been regarded as one of the Islamic world’s more open and progressive nations and a strong U.S. ally. But more recently it has taken a more authoritarian turn and is among several countries seeking to build stronger ties with China, which is expanding its military and commercial influence in Southeast Asia.
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Among the protesters was 92-year-old opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad, who led the Southeast Asian country for 22 years as head of the governing coalition he now challenges. Dr. Mahathir accused Mr. Najib of turning Malaysia into “a kleptocracy,” saying, “He wants to change all the laws to ensure they win.”
The Election Commission reports to the prime minister’s office. Chairman Hashim Abdullah denies that the changes were intended to ensure victory for the National Front, which has led every Malaysian government since independence in 1957.
Speaking in Parliament before the vote, the prime minister said he disagreed with some of the changes but decided not to interfere.
“I was made to the understand the Election Commission uses their best efforts to lessen the burden of people’s representatives, especially in places where connection and transport facilities are limited,” Mr. Najib said.
Mr. Najib is under pressure to secure a convincing win to get out from under the cloud of the 1MDB scandal. He established the fund in 2009 to spur Malaysia’s economy. But the fund is now being investigated by authorities in several countries, including the U.S., on allegations ranging from money laundering to misappropriation of funds involving billions of dollars. Both 1MDB and Mr. Najib have denied wrongdoing and said they would cooperate with any lawful international investigation.
Critics say the Election Commission’s power to redraw the electoral map is one of the most effective tools at the government’s disposal. The electoral boundaries were last redrawn in 2003, when Dr. Mahathir was prime minister.
“The opposition is used to having no airtime on radio and TV, and we are also used to an opponent that has unlimited supply of money,” said Wong Chen, a lawmaker with the opposition People’s Justice Party. But he said the government was “gerrymandering at a level unseen before.”
‘The opposition is used to having no airtime on radio and TV, and we are also used to an opponent that has unlimited supply of money.’
In the last national elections five years ago, the weighting provided to rural districts helped Mr. Najib’s government secure 60% of the seats in Parliament, despite losing the popular vote to an opposition coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim. Mr. Anwar is now serving out the remaining months of a conviction on what he says are trumped-up sodomy charges.
Political analysts say the election will nonetheless be Mr. Najib’s biggest electoral test since the 1MDB imbroglio began in 2015, and the biggest bone of contention in opposition circles is the redrawing of the electoral map.
“The re-delineation is crucial to Najib,” said James Chin a Malaysian academic who heads the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania in Australia.
Malaysia’s government proposed a new law on Monday that would make spreading fake news a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Critics said it was aimed at silencing dissent ahead of the elections and could limit media reporting on 1MDB and other issues.
Communications Minister Salleh Said Keruak said the proposal isn’t designed to suppress media reporting.
Write to Yantoultra Ngui at yantoultra.ngui@wsj.com