KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's opposition appeared poised for major gains on Saturday, political analysts said, after voters went to the polls in resource-rich Sarawak state on Borneo island.
The vote is seen as a test of popularity for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has dished out money for rural development, in what has been described as the most crucial poll since the 2008 general elections. Anwar Ibrahim's opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance secured unprecedented gains in 2008, seizing five states and a third of parliamentary seats and threatening the Barisan Nasional's (BN) half-century grip on power. Those results forced Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.
The opposition is aiming for a repeat in Sarawak by denying the government a crucial two-thirds majority in the state that effectively allows the BN coalition to pass legislation without any obstruction.
BN is intent on a big win after the humiliation of three years ago, but early indications suggest it will be disappointed.
The opposition held eight of the 71 seats in the Sarawak state assembly before it was dissolved in March, paving the way for this election.
But Anwar's alliance is now predicted to double that number, political analysts said, based on initial counting.
Najib was forced to criss-cross the rugged state by helicopter to meet voters in the interior, a traditional power base, before the polls closed at 5:00 pm. There were no reports of unrest.
Monash University Malaysia political scientist James Chin said BN would win the Sarawak election, but was confident the opposition would make substantial in-roads.
"It looks like the opposition is making big gains because the voters are fed-up with 74-year-old chief minister Taib Mahmud," he said. "I think the opposition is on its way to double its seats." Taib has been in power for 30 years and is seen as a controversial symbol of BN dominance. He has denied allegations of large-scale corruption involving his family and political allies. The alleged maltreatment of tribal communities and the exploitation of Sarawak's natural resources during Taib's rule have also been emotive issues in the campaign. One other major issue was the government's attempt to restrict bibles printed in the national Malay language. Baru Bian, a candidate of Anwar's Keadilan party, told AFP that he had won in his rural Ba'Kelalan, a Christian dominated constituency. "Unofficially I have won. The voters rejected BN because of the land grab of their native land and the issue of the Malay-language bibles," he said. Jeniri Amir, a political analyst at University Malaysia Sarawak, told AFP at least 12 of the 15 urban seats will fall to the opposition and there could be more bad news for BN in other areas. "In some rural constituencies, which are traditional stronghold of BN, the opposition is leading during early counting of the ballots," he said.
