Mahathir victory decisive

Mahathir victory decisive

Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, one of Southeast Asia's longest-serving premiers, celebrated his forth consecutive election victory on Tuesday after voters delivered him back to office in an apparent landslide victory.

Throughout the campaign, the opposition complained its efforts were destined to be doomed due to media bias and gerrymandering. However, Mahathir attributed his win to an economic program which is rapidly transforming Malaysia into an industrialized country.

The 69-year-old Mahathir's National Front coalition won 84 percent of the country's 192 parliamentary seats and retained its two-thirds majority in the House as well as in 12 of the country's thirteen states.

The outcome was the coalition's biggest election victory since independence from Britain in 1957.

Mahathir's victory was indeed a decisive one and it is a big indication within the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) -- the backbone of National Front -- the prime minister is in for the long haul, rather than handing over the reins to a successor immediately.

This could possibly be Mahathir's last general election as head of the National Front coalition. In five years time, he will be 74. Though still healthy despite undergoing heart surgery in 1988, few within UMNO or the National Front expect him to play the leading role in the next election.

It was clearly a "Mahathir Show" from the start of the campaign. The overwhelming endorsement from the electorate is probably the best way to crown the premier's achievement before he calls it a day.

-- The Nation, Bangkok