Ruling National Front coalition takes early lead in Malaysian general election

Malaysia’s ruling coalition took an early lead in exit polls in national elections yesterday, with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s alliance bidding to unseat the National Front coalition that has ruled the country for the last 56 years.

Prime minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition captured 25 parliamentary seats while opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance, which had led in opinion polls ahead of the vote, seized 13 in the earliest results released by Malaysia's Election Commission.

At least 112 of the 222 parliamentary seats are needed to win federal power. The National Front has triumphed in 12 consecutive general elections since independence from Britain in 1957, and counts as the world’s longest serving democratic government.

Electoral fraud
There have been widespread claims of electoral fraud during the polling. There was confusion as counting began soon after the close of polling stations, when Mr Anwar tweeted that his Pakatan Rakyat, or People's Pact, coalition had won, less than two hours into the counting of votes and before a single official result was released.

More than 10 million Malaysians cast ballots in a record turnout of 80 per cent of about 13 million registered voters, the Election Commission said in preliminary estimates. At polling stations, voters’ fingers were marked with ink to prevent multiple voting after they had finished.

The election is almost certainly the last chance for the 65-year-old Mr Anwar to lead the country. A one-time rising star in the UMNO, he was deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998, but was sacked and jailed for six years in 1998 after he fell out with then prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad, who remains an influential figure.

He was charged with sodomy and corruption, and the image of him in court with black eye and bruises after he was beaten up by a police chief was flashed around the world.

He was jailed for nine years, and then freed in 2004, before being again charged with sodomy in August 2008. Last year, Malaysia’s top court overturned the second sodomy charge. He says his convictions were trumped up.

Awkward partnership
Pakatan Rakyat is a loose grouping of opposition parties, including an awkward partnership between a secular ethnic Chinese party and an Islamist party.

In March 2008, Mr Anwar’s alliance just failed to win an election. However, it gave the National Front coalition its worst results in half a century, and the opposition has campaigned on its record of governing in the four states involved. It aims to break down a network of patronage that has grown up between UMNO and business leaders.

“We stand today on the brink of history,” Mr Anwar said in a statement.

The UMNO says it offers stability and continuity. "Your support is paramount if we are to keep to our path of development, if we are to continue our journey toward complete transformation," Mr Najib told voters. "This election is about fulfilling promises, bringing hope and upholding trustworthiness."