KUALA LUMPUR, March 8: Malaysia’s opposition was set on Saturday to hand the ruling coalition its biggest upset ever, claiming wins in at least four states and putting the prime minister’s political future at risk.
The multi-racial National Front coalition was almost certain to get a majority and form the government at the federal level, but the two-thirds majority in parliament it has held for most of its five-decade-long rule was looking shaky in early returns.The Chinese-backed Democratic Action Party (DAP) won Penang, a manufacturing hub that is home to many multinational firms.
The opposition Islamist party PAS claimed shock victories in the northern heartland states of Kedah and Perak and crushed the ruling coalition in PAS’ stronghold in northeastern Kelantan state. The opposition was also gaining in Selangor state surrounding Kuala Lumpur, the state news agency Bernama said.
“This is the biggest defeat ever since our (party’s) founding 40 years ago,” Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon said. “I feel sad and surprised. I urge all National Front members to stay calm and not to take any action that could jeopardise peace and security in the state.”
The shock defeat in Penang stirred memories of the last time the ruling coalition failed to win a two-thirds majority, in 1969, when deadly race riots erupted between majority ethnic Malays and minority Chinese.
Abdullah said he accepted defeat “in some areas” and urged people to remain calm, the Star newspaper’s text message service reported.
Police officials vowed to use tough internal security laws against anyone spreading rumours and banned victory processions after the results, one of which had triggered the 1969 violence.
REFERENDUM ON ABDULLAH
“This looks like a revolution,” said Husam Musa, vice-president of a hardline Islamist opposition party. “The people have risen and are united. The message to government is, ‘Enough is enough’”, he told reporters.
The poll, called before it was due in May 2009, was widely seen as a referendum on Abdullah’s rule, and Malaysians took the opportunity to administer a stinging rebuke over price rises, religious disputes and concerns over corruption .
“I think the PM will potentially have to resign,” said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia specialist at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. “This is unprecedented. The only other time this happened was in 1969 and that’s why everybody is very nervous now because of the uncertainty.”
Works Minister Samy Vellu, chief of the Malaysian Indian Congress, one of the parties in the ruling National Front coalition, lost the seat he had held for nearly 30 years, because many Indians thought he was out of touch with their concerns.
Detained ethnic Indian activist and lawyer M. Manoharan delivered another slap in the face of the government, winning a parliamentary seat despite being held under internal-security laws for organising a major anti-government protest last year.
Chinese and Indians account for a third of the population of 26 million and many complain the government discriminates in favour of Malays when it comes to education, jobs, financial assistance and religious policy.
The final result is unlikely to be clear until early on Sunday. About 70 per cent of Malaysia’s 10.9 million eligible voters had cast ballots, the country’s top poll official said.
Opposition rallies drew big crowds, especially Chinese and Indian voters unhappy with Abdullah’s Malay-dominated coalition.
“This clearly shows Malaysians want an alternative. Going forward Malays, Indians and Chinese all have to work together and make a formidable pact,” opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim told reporters.
Barisan held 90 per cent of the seats in the outgoing federal parliament. Political experts had predicted Abdullah’s continued leadership could be in jeopardy if his majority fell back below 80 per cent, or around 178 seats, in the new 222-seat parliament.—Reuters
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.