Malaysian PM faces test in ‘no ordinary’ election

MALAYSIA: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose ruling party faces the most serious challenge yet to its half-century reign, said Thursday upcoming national polls will be “no ordinary election”.

Facing a formidable opposition and rising pressure for change, Najib rallied the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) at its annual convention, saying the vote would be a pivotal point in the nation's history.

“We will compete for every vote, we will work to win the confidence of every single Malaysian citizen, we will knock on every door, we shall open every pathway to hope,” he told delegates.

“The 13th general election is not an ordinary election. It will determine the destiny of the country and the people.” Najib must call polls by mid-2013 against an opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim -- a one-time deputy prime minister and UMNO star who was ousted in 1998 after a falling-out with then-leader Mahathir Mohammad.

Najib, 59, whose party has been in power since Malaysian independence in 1957, has yet to face voters at the ballot box as prime minister.

He took the reins in 2009 when his predecessor was ousted over a humiliating performance in elections the year before which saw the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional handed the worst result of its five decades in power.

Few political analysts give the opposition alliance a strong chance of winning power.

But Najib could face a leadership challenge if the coalition fails to reclaim the two-thirds parliamentary majority it lost in 2008, or loses further ground.

He has sought to shore up support by casting himself as a reformer -- scrapping repressive laws viewed as tools to muzzle dissent -- and offering hefty handouts such as cash bonuses for citizens and public sector pay rises.

He can also point to steady economic growth -- a 5.5 percent expansion in the latest quarter -- despite the troubles in key European and US export markets.

Najib's reformist credentials were hit by the government's harsh reaction -- for the second straight year -- to an April march in the capital by tens of thousands calling for reform of an electoral system viewed as pro-government.

Violent clashes erupted between protesters and police, with widespread reports of police brutality, and many Malaysians were angered by government attempts to vilify the demonstrators. Under Barisan Nasional's authoritarian rule, multi-ethnic Malaysia became one of Southeast Asia's most stable and prosperous countries. But analysts say the coalition faces increasing pressure as patience with strong-arm tactics runs out, while the rise of the Internet has increased access to information and alternative, anti-government views.

AFP