PM Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional wins

Kuala Lumpur. The ruling National Front coalition has won a simple majority in Malaysia’s election, extending its 56-year rule, with two-thirds of seats confirmed.

Monday, May 06, 2013
Mr Najibu2019s coalition campaigned hard to shore up its base among poorer ethnic Malay neighbourhoods. Net photo.

Kuala Lumpur. The ruling National Front coalition has won a simple majority in Malaysia’s election, extending its 56-year rule, with two-thirds of seats confirmed.PM Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition had passed 112 seats in the 222-seat parliament, the country’s Election Commission said.Defeated opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the party of widespread fraud before and during the polls.Some 80% of registered voters cast ballots, said election officials.Voters had been faced with returning the ruling party, or choosing Mr Ibrahim’s untested three-party alliance, Pakatan Rakyat.Barisan Nasional, while credited with bringing economic development and political stability, has also been tainted by allegations of corruption.But in what was considered a tight race, it had campaigned hard to shore up its base among poorer ethnic Malay neighbourhoods and in rural areas.At 01:02 (17:02 GMT), Basiran Nasional said it had won 117 seats to Pakatan Rakyat’s 65.A tweet from the party’s official account read: "Woot Woot! From Menara Dato Onn with Love. Thank you all. Thank you Malaysia!”Before the result was confirmed, Mr Najib, 59, said he was confident Malaysians would retain his coalition and even return the two-thirds parliamentary majority Barisan Nasional lost in the 2008 polls.