The reconstituted UMNO Baru (New UMNO), led by incumbent Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and the newly formed Semangat 46 (S46), led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, contested for the first time in the elections.
In the elections, the UMNO Baru, under Mahathir's leadership, faced off against Semangat 46, led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, for the first time.