Mahathir coalition loses crucial by-election
Mahathir coalition loses crucial by-election
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad's ruling coalition lost a crucial by-election in his home
state on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the premier's political
standing.
The opposition Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice
Party), which champions Mahathir's ousted former deputy, Anwar
Ibrahim, won the by-election in northern Kedah, the national
Bernama news agency said.
It said Keadilan's Saifuddin Nasution Ismail beat S.
Anthonysamy of Mahathir's Barisan Nasional (National Front) by
530 votes.
The by-election was called after the death of the sitting
assemblyman.
Keadilan is led by Anwar's wife Azizah Ismail.
The result does not affect Mahathir's federal government but
robs his Barisan Nasional coalition of its two-thirds majority in
Kedah's state assembly.
Fallout from Mahathir's ouster of his one-time protege Anwar
helped the opposition come to power in two of Malaysia's 13
states in general elections a year ago.
Voters flocked to the polls on Wednesday in a bitterly
contested by-election seen as a key popularity test for
Malaysia's government and opposition exactly one year after the
general election.
Accusations of racism and dirty tricks have flown thick and
fast during campaigning for the Lunas seat in the Kedah state
assembly, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's home state.
Riot police were deployed early on Wednesday to disperse rival
groups after opposition officials blocked 12 busloads of
government supporters from entering the northwestern town,
Bernama news agency reported.
The National Justice Party claimed there were "phantom" voters
bussed in from out of state to vote fraudulently.
Police said they had found no proof the government supporters
planned to act as phantom voters and they were later allowed to
enter the town.
Turnout was an estimated 65-70 percent more than two hours
before polls closed.
The ruling National Front (NF) coalition is eager to show it
has halted the erosion of support from ethnic Malays, many of
whom became angry with Mahathir after the 1998 sacking and arrest
of his popular deputy Anwar Ibrahim.
Anti-government protests erupted in many cities and the
opposition capitalized on it by forming an alliance and winning
many more seats in Parliament.
Anwar is serving two prison terms until 2014 and many
Malaysians believe that he has been unfairly treated by Mahathir
and the Malaysian judiciary. Anwar says the charges against him
were trumped up to end his political challenge to Mahathir and
his crusade to halt corruption and bring more democracy to the
Southeast Asian nation.
Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) lost 22
parliament seats in the November 1999 parliamentary and state
polls. UMNO is the main party in the NF, which also includes the
main Chinese and Indian parties in the multiracial nation.
With Malays still believed divided but the Indian community
backing the government, the NF must secure at least half the
Chinese vote to win in Lunas.
The Chinese vote helped the NF to a resounding victory
nationally last November. But analysts say its support is more
uncertain this time following controversy about planned
multiracial "vision schools" and resentment over Mahathir's
strong criticism in August of a Chinese pressure group.
The opposition Alternative Front has serious problems of its
own. The alliance of Keadilan, the Democratic Action Party (DAP),
the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and the small Malaysian People's
Party nearly split up amid a furious argument over who should
contest Lunas.
The DAP was initially allowed to field an Indian candidate but
was then forced to yield to Keadilan, which is led by Anwar's
wife. Keadilan's insistence on Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, a
Malay, prompted charges from some leading DAP members of racism.
The ruling coalition's candidate is Indian lawyer S. Anthonysamy.