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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that early results from the general election indicated the government would lose its critical two-thirds majority in parliament.
"We have crossed the one-third majority. This is based on information from the candidates from the initial counting," he told AFP.
"This is a major victory... and we are moving up very fast towards 40 percent."
Anwar is barred from holding office until April, but has been criss-crossing the country campaigning for Saturday's general elections, rallying his own Keadilan party and two others which have formed a loose alliance.
The Barisan Nasional, led by the United Malays Nasional Organisation (UMNO), has ruled for half a century and only once fallen below the two-thirds mark in parliament, which allows it to change the constitution at will.
If the opposition does claim one-third of the 222 seats in the new parliament it would be a huge psychological victory that analysts say would force the coalition to take it much more seriously.
"We have thrashed the Barisan Nasional in its traditional seats, including UMNO in its stronghold," Anwar said.
"My concern now is why is there a deliberate delay on the part of the government-controlled media in announcing the results," he said.
Five hours after voting closed, the Election Commission had announced just a few dozen seats – mostly ones where the coalition won.
Anwar said his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is currently Keadilan's only lawmaker in parliament, had extended her majority, and his daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, had won her first election fight.
The charismatic 60-year-old, who was sacked and jailed in 1998 on sex and corruption charges that were widely seen as politically motivated, said the result was a personal victory.
"I feel truly vindicated by the mass support given to the opposition," he said.
"Going forward, Malays, Indians and Chinese all have to work together and make us a formidable force."
Malaysia's minority ethnic Indians and Chinese had been expected to turn away from the Malay-led government, but pollsters said the coalition also suffered a loss of support from the Malays that form its bedrock.
Anwar has said he plans to return to parliament through a by-election in a Keadilan-held seat after April.
- AFP/so
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