Malaysia sets May 5 election date Malaysia's election commission has set the country's long-awaited general election for May 5, paving the way for an unusually protracted, and likely acrimonious, campaign pitting the country's ruling coalition against a resurgent opposition. The outcome of the poll is the most uncertain in decades, with the dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno) hoping with its ruling coalition partners to convince voters that its solid economic record means it deserves to retain power. However, the opposition, led by Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister, is set to give the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition a tough fight with a platform that would tackle Malaysia's endemic corruption, free up state-controlled media and raise the minimum wage. At stake is the future of a moderate Muslim country of 28m that has been a beacon of stability and helped generate economic prosperity in southeast Asia. Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, chair of the election commission, said nominations for the country's 222-seat parliament should be in by April 20, with polling two weeks later. This allows for a campaign lasting 15 days, the longest in more than three decades. However, both sides have already been on the hustings for weeks. Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister and head of Umno, has doled out a series of pre-election cash handouts to lower income families and employees of state-run energy group Petronas in a bid to lock in support. "This election is a choice between sticking with a competent, reform-minded government and risking our prosperity on a fractious, inexperienced opposition, whose manifesto doesn't add up," Mr Najib said on Wednesday after the date was announced. A war of words broke out earlier this week between Barisan Nasional, Malay for "national front," and Mr Anwar's three-way opposition coalition, known as Pakatan Rakyat, or people's alliance, with each side accusing the other of copying election proposals. Describing the Barisan election manifesto as "old wine in new bottles" Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the parliamentary wing of the Democratic Action Party, the ethnic Chinese partner in Pakatan, said: "These 56 years coincide with uninterrupted power exercised by a succession of [Barisan] governments. At stake is the future of a moderate Muslim country of 28m that has been a beacon of stability and helped generate economic prosperity in southeast Asia That power has not been used for the greater good but has in recent decades been abused by a small elite for its own benefit. Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy prime minister, hit back on Tuesday, claiming that Pakatan's manifesto, unveiled last month, included policies already aired by Barisan on reducing road toll charges and car prices. Mr Muhyiddin is seen as a possible successor to Mr Najib if Barisan fails to improve on its last showing in 2008 when it lost its two-thirds majority in parliament. At the last election Barisan won 140 seats, with Pakatan capturing 82, as well as five state governments in Malaysia's 13 state system. Barisan won a little more than 50 per cent of the popular vote, while Pakatan took 47 per cent.