Radio Australia: Msia In Tight Election Race - May Last Only 2 Weeks!

Malaysia faces tight election race

Radio Australia: Updated 8 April 2013, 13:24 AEST

Catherine McGrath, Political Editor of Australia Network

Malaysia is in the grip of its closest election campaign in the 56 years since independence. The poll must be held by the end of April, although the date hasn't been set.

Malaysia is in the grip of its closest election campaign in the 56 years since independence.
The poll must be held by the end of April, although the date hasn't been set.

Photo: Najib Razak has been Malaysian prime minister since 2009. (AFP: Nicholas Kamm, file photo)

Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved Parliament on April 3 paving the way for the election.
Official campaigning when the poll is called will be fast and furious, and the campaign may last just 2 weeks.

Mr Najib presides over a coalition known as Barisan Nasional (BN).

It is dominated by UNMO (United Malays National Organisation), historically the most powerful political party in Malaysia.

Photo: The Opposition is led by the country's former Deputy Prime Minister and UNMO defector Anwar Ibrahim. (Dean Lewins, file photo: AAP)

The Opposition is led by the country's former Deputy Prime Minister and UNMO defector Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar fell out with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 and was imprisoned on now discredited sodomy charges.

Under his leadership Malaysia's opposition has become strong for the first time. In the last election the Government lost its crucial 2/3 majority in the Parliament.

Also growing in Malaysia in recent years is the Bersih movement for clean and fair elections (Bersih is the Malays word for clean).

Huge rallies in previous years have been held by Bersih demonstrators wearing their trade mark yellow shirts.

The Bersih rallies were supported by the Opposition.

Photo: Supporters of 'Bersih' (Clean) reform group gather at Dataran Bandarraya in Johor Bahru, in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, April 28, 2012 (Reuters: David Loh)

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