Among the factors that have helped the party include the savvy use of social media and the declining trust for Barisan Nasional and UMNO.

'The grand coalition’ in the unity government should be defended and maintained to make Malaysia great, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Using hanko, or handcrafted name seals, as a stamp of authenticity, became a common practice in Japan a few centuries ago and has been required for official business since the 1870s.

As the power to make decisions over COVID-19 restrictions had been delegated to local leaders, Beijing can distance itself from public frustration about harsh COVID-19 policies, says a China observer.

Analysts said that the recent purchases are needed to renew the ageing equipment but there are also questions over whether they would work well in conjunction with each other.