Mahathir retains power in decisive election victory<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
\non Tuesday celebrated an emphatic poll victory which secured his
\nlegacy as Asia's longest-serving elected leader but also saw big
\ngains by an Islamic opposition.<\/p>\n
Despite predictions of a major backlash over the Anwar Ibrahim
\naffair, Mahathir's National Front coalition won 148 of the 193
\nparliamentary seats and kept power in nine of 11 state
\nassemblies.<\/p>\n
The Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and not the secular
\nopposition parties proved the biggest winner from the issue of
\nex-deputy premier Anwar, whose sacking and treatment last year
\ndivided the sympathies of ethnic Malays.<\/p>\n
PAS more than tripled its parliamentary seats to 27, kept
\ncontrol of Kelantan state assembly in the northern Malay
\nheartland and captured neighboring Terengganu.<\/p>\n
Biggest loser was the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action
\nParty (DAP), which in its leader's words had been for three
\ndecades "the outspoken, courageous lone political voice for a
\ndemocratic and secular Malaysia."<\/p>\n
The National Justice Party (Keadilan) won five seats. It was
\nformed by Anwar's wife Azizah Ismail just before he was jailed
\nfor six years in April for abusing his powers.<\/p>\n
PAS, the DAP, Keadilan and the small Malaysian People's Party
\nare part of the Alternative Front alliance. Anwar was its
\ncandidate for premier.<\/p>\n
Some analysts said the result indicated widening divisions
\namong the Malays who make up more than half the country's 22
\nmillion population. Chinese account for some 30 percent and
\nIndians 10 percent.<\/p>\n
"The Malay world is in turmoil and nothing has made that more
\nevident than this general election," the pro-government Sun
\nnewspaper said in an editorial.<\/p>\n
It said the result erased any doubt about Mahathir's command
\nof the political scene with an emphatic win in his fifth and
\nprobably last election at age 73.<\/p>\n
But as the premier cut a cake early on Tuesday to cheers and
\nshouts of Mahathir boleh (Mahathir can), the daily warned PAS
\ngains signaled a "dissatisfied, protesting Malay multitude." It
\nsaid the ruling party must now find ways to unite the community.<\/p>\n
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, who lost his own seat, described the
\nelection as "a historic opportunity missed" to end the National
\nFront's political domination.<\/p>\n
"It has set the country on an uncertain and perilous course,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the
\nbackbone of the National Front, will be "under great pressure to
\nrespond to the PAS challenge by competing on Islamization
\npolicies to win back the Malay heartland," he added.<\/p>\n
Azizah hailed the opposition's achievement but blamed "scare
\ntactics" by pro-government media and the exclusion of 680,000 new
\nvoters from the electoral roll for the failure to make a
\nbreakthrough.<\/p>\n
Hoarse after days of successful campaigning to capture Anwar's
\nold seat, she told AFP: "We have reduced their majority
\nconsiderably. A little edge would have given us victory. We have
\nto work a little harder."<\/p>\n
Azizah said her seven-month-old party had "done a lot."<\/p>\n
"Malays have given us support -- our support was mainly from
\nMalay areas."<\/p>\n
PAS president Fadzil Noor said his party would bring the
\npeople development and ensure its two state governments were
\nclean and free of corruption.<\/p>\n
The Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Election, which
\ndeployed observers at polling stations in eight states, said it
\nfound traces of fraud such as phantom voters and could not
\nconclude the election was "free and fair."<\/p>\n
Sunai Phasuk, a member of the watchdog, said migrants from the
\nPhilippines were given identity cards on condition they vote for
\nthe National Front. Watchdogs also received reports of the use of
\nfake identity cards in other states.<\/p>\n
The group said the irregularities did not mean the overall
\nresult of the poll was invalid.<\/p>\n
State Bernama news agency said Mahathir was expected to meet
\nthe king early on Wednesday to brief him on the formation of a
\nnew government.<\/p>",
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