Post date: May 05, 2013 5:14:28 PM
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives at the party headquarters ahead of election results, as the ruling coalition takes an early lead in poll results.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (MAY 5, 2013) (REUTERS) - Malaysia's ruling coalition won the early results on Sunday (May 5) in an election that could weaken or even end its 56-year rule, with the majority of seats yet to be decided as it faces an opposition pledging to clean up politics and end race-based policies.
The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front, won a string of parliamentary seats in its traditional stronghold of Sarawak state on Borneo island. But the opposition retained economically important Penang state as its leader Anwar Ibrahim sought to build on his alliance's stunning gains in 2008.With less than a quarter of parliamentary results confirmed in the Southeast Asian nation, the National Front was leading with 37 seats to the opposition's 13, according to the country's Election Commission. A count by the independent Malaysiakini website gave the seat tally as 29 to 21 in favour of the coalition.
Either side needs 112 of 222 parliamentary seats to form a majority, although Prime Minister Najib Razak is under pressure to win back the two-thirds majority that the BN lost in the last national election in 2008. Final results were expected by early on Monday (May 6).
Razak could be seen arriving at his party headquarters earlier where he was expected to await early results.
The coalition is expected to win, but opinion polls showed a tightening race with Najib struggling to translate strong economic growth and a deluge of social handouts into votes.
Before most votes were counted, Anwar declared victory in a surprise statement that appeared to be a tactic to whip up support. "PR has won," Anwar wrote on his Twitter account, urging the ruling party and the country's Election Commission "not to attempt to hijack the results".
Election officials said voter turnout in the country of 28 million people was about 80 percent, a record high in what could be the most closely contested election in 56 years of rule by the National Front coalition.