Mahathir's party, Anwar-led opposition to clash

By Gwen Benjamin

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Malaysia's Nov. 29 general election will see mostly hotly-contested "one-on-one" fights between Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's ruling government and an opposition alliance led by his former protege and now political arch-rival, Anwar Ibrahim.

As nominations closed Saturday for parties to register their candidates for the parliamentary and state elections, the battle appears to be mainly between Mahathir's 14-party Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition and the four-party Alternative Front opposition alliance.

The Alternative Front, which came into being only in April and which was derided by Barisan leaders as a rag-tag "marriage of convenience" alliance, kept a pre-election pact to field only a single candidate in each seat so as not to split the opposition vote.

However, Anwar, whom the Front wants to appoint as Malaysia's premier if it wins the election, disappointed his supporters by a last-minute decision not to run for office from behind bars.

Anwar, whose sacking by Mahathir last year and subsequent six- year jail term for corruption united Malaysia's once-fragmented opposition, opted not to contest for fear he would be disqualified because of his conviction.

The 73-year-old Mahathir, who is seeking a record fifth five- year term, is confident of retaining the Barisan's two-third's sweep of the 193 parliamentary seats at stake, although the opposition Front is convinced they can prevent this.

The Barisan held 166 of the 192 parliamentary seats when the lower house was dissolved last week after Mahathir called the snap election ahead of next August's deadline.

State elections for a total of 394 seats will also be held for 11 of Malaysia's 13 state legislatures on Nov. 29.

Mahathir, whose government has been in office for 18 years, is defending his Kubang Pasu parliamentary seat in Kedah state where he is challenged by a candidate from the fundamentalist Pan- Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, is running in her husband's Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in Penang where she is challenged in a "grudge match" by the Barisan's Ibrahim Saad, a close Anwar aide who is now considered a turncoat by Anwar's supporters.

The Alternative Front is optimistic that public outrage over Anwar's treatment can deny the Barisan its usual two-third's majority sweep, or even cause an upset victory.

It says it offers Malaysians a choice from the Barisan, which has been in power since independence in 1957, and which has steadily eroded many basic rights of the people as well as getting bloated with corruption, nepotism and cronysim.

However, few expect the powerful Barisan to be toppled in the polls, although some feel the ruling coalition will return to power with a much reduced majority.

Political analysts cite several reasons why the Barisan will sail through, the most important being that the multi-ethnic 14- party Barisan has a total combined membership of four million. That's almost half of the 9.7 million voters eligible to vote in the polls.

Mahathir's success in turning around Malaysia's worst-ever economic recession with minimum social cost, unlike in some neighboring countries, is also a major factor why Malaysians would opt for the Barisan even if they are sympathetic towards Anwar.

The country's pro-government media, a bane to the opposition which complains of biased reporting, is also a powerful tool in swaying public opinion.

On Saturday, most local dailies carried huge advertisements for the Barisan, which words like "42 Years of Proven Track Record", "Why End It?" and "Don't Gamble Our Future".

The Alternative Front comprises PAS, the Wan Azizah-led National Justice Party (Keadilan), the ethnic Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the tiny Malaysian People's Party (PRM).

Voting among Malaysia's 22 million people have always been along racial lines. Moslem Malays form slightly over half of the population, with Chinese making up one-third and Indians one- tenth.

A recent newspaper survey found Chinese and Indian respondents solidly backing the Barisan, reflecting their fears over violent anti-government street protests that have been staged by mostly Malay supporters of Keadilan and PAS since Anwar's sacking.

Although no one was killed in the riots, the Chinese were deeply rattled by the unrest, coming so soon after bloody anti- Chinese riots in neighboring Indonesia. Malaysia experienced with the riots between the Malays and Chinese in 1969.

The Chinese and Indian voters, seen as "decision makers" in the upcoming election as the Malay vote is split over the Anwar issue, are also warned by Barisan politicians that the Islamist PAS party will form an Islamic state once the Alternative Front seizes power.

PAS, the country's biggest opposition party, has ruled northeastern Kelantan state since 1990 where discos, gambling and liquor sales are banned, and where supermarkets and cinemas have segregated areas for men and women.