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KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim hailed what he called a "new dawn" Sunday after a resurgent opposition punished the ruling coalition in weekend elections.
The governing Barisan Nasional coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time in nearly 40 years following Saturday's vote, and also conceded four states.
A jubilant Anwar, who has made a spectacular political comeback since his 1998 sacking and imprisonment, said the opposition now had to prove it was a credible alternative.
"It is a new dawn for Malaysia," he told AFP, saying it defeated the "myth" that Abdullah's UMNO party was invincible.
"I can see some leadership turmoil happening in UMNO," he said. "They will have to reinvent by focusing on leadership change."
Anwar's Keadilan party won 31 seats for the biggest opposition presence in the new parliament.
The Chinese-based Democratic Action Party won 28 and the Islamic party PAS won 23.
Anwar said the results exploded Malaysia's race-based political structure, under which parties have traditionally represented individual ethnic groups.
"The opposition that has been voted in is a truly multi-racial party. It is a fantastic setup," he said.
"People want to see justice. I will help the Malays, but it will be done justly, and in the same breath I will help the Indians and the Chinese."
Barisan Nasional, which has governed Malaysia for half a century, won 137 seats in the new 222-seat assembly, but had needed 148 to form the two-thirds majority that allows it to amend the constitution at will. - AFP/ch
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