KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia 's defeated leader Najib Razak said Thursday he accepted the will of the people after his long-ruling coalition suffered a shock election loss to 92-year-old former strongman Mahathir Mohamad "I accept the verdict of the people," the leader, who looked shattered after his coalition's defeat, said. But he added that because no single party got a majority in parliament, it was up to the king to decide who will become prime minister.Mahathir's opposition won 121 seats, if a small ally from Sabah state is included. There are 222 seats in parliament and a majority is needed to form a government.The veteran ex-leader, who led the country with an iron first for over two decades, stormed to a shock victory at the hard-fought election early Thursday, beating Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that has been in charge for over six decades.</s>Sixty years after independence, Malaysia is starting to see its own democracy emerge from the shadow of one-party rule.

The sudden, astonishing loss of office for the Barisan Nasional coalition of Najib Razak and the victory of an opposition coalition led by the former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad

shows democracy, which is supposed to be in decline around the world, retains its strength in our region. It’s a welcome sign.

The defeat of Najib Razak, though a surprise, is easily understood. Najib was the quintessential establishment candidate – descended from an aristocratic family, the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister and the nephew of its third.

Any political establishment that holds power for many decades will become complacent and run the risk of corruption. Najib has been accused, particularly by Dr Mahathir, of corrupt involvement in the 1MDB scandal and that taint, allied with the patchy performance of Malaysia’s economy and a highly unpopular goods and services tax, has brought him undone.</s>Kuala Lumpur : Mahathir Muhamad has claimed an extraordinary victory in Malaysia's 14th general election, opening the door to the first change of government in the 61 years since the country's independence.

Official results from the Malaysian electoral commission suggested at 2.30am (AEDT) that Mahathir's opponent Pakatan Harapan from the Alliance of Hope and its allied parties had so far won 48 seats, while the Prime Minister Najib Razak's governing Barisan Nasional (National Coalition) and its allies had won 46 seats.

An hour earlier, the 92-year-old Mahathir, who served as prime minister for 22 years until 2003, told media gathered at Kuala Lumpur's Sheraton Hotel that, based on unofficial counting, "it would seem that we have practically achieved that figure [112] and the figure for the Barisan Nasional is very much lower than that".

"We believe that from our official counting that they're left far behind. The likelihood is that they will not be forming the government. There is no way they can catch up," he said, adding that the opposition was also on track for victory in five state elections.</s>Malaysians have been voting all day to decide whether or to re-elect the prime minister’s long-running coalition, after allegations continued to rumble that the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had billions siphoned off. Polling stations opened at 8am and closed at 5pm with results expected to arrive before midnight (5pm BST). However they were thrown into chaos after opposition leader and ex-prime minister Dr Mohamad, 92, claimed his party had won despite the Election Commission saying not all votes were verified. Commission chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah told reporters shortly after midnight local time (5pm BST): “Of course, political parties can declare whoever (they believe has won), but ... please wait.

“We would like to announce it as quickly as possible as well." The ruling coalition has made no comment, but the results are expected to be finalised imminently. How many parliamentary seats in Malaysia election are up for grabs? The latest official results show that so far, Mohammad’s Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) have won 80 seats and Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN), have won 67.

A total of 222 seats are up for grabs in the first-past-the-post system, and a majority of 112 seats is required by a party or alliance to rule. The number of candidates running is up from 1,899 in 2013 to 2,333 this year. BN had been expected to win, albeit unconvincingly, but the party has lost seats in key seats where it traditionally held strongholds. An election-eve opinion poll suggested that support for BN was slipping and Mahathir's alliance would land the most votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population in this Southeast Asian nation.

The votes have proved controversial with people taking to social media to complain of long queues outside polling centres of three hours or more. Prior to that, opposition leaders claimed the process was biased in favour of the incumbent government after it redrew electoral boundaries. Voters were also in uproar about the mid-week poll date, leaving millions of people unable to cast their vote. Riot police had to be called to a results counting centre in Ayer Hiram, Jahor, after unmarked cars were stopped from entering.</s>Data highlighting Malaysians’ key concerns helped the Pakatan Harapan connect with voters and formulate a winning strategy in Malaysia’s 14th General Election, says Khor Yu Leng.

KUALA LUMPUR: News of an extraordinary political upset for Barisan Nasional came through slowly after polls for Malaysia’s 14th General Election (GE14) closed.

Mahathir Mohamad, leader of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, claimed victory for Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, under whose flag the Pakatan Harapan coalition parties contested under.

Where many have called the win a “shock victory”, in fact, there were early signs of voter concerns that Pakatan paid close attention to and worked hard at addressing to gain the electoral advantage.

Recognition must go to Rafizi Ramli’s think tank Invoke Malaysia for being among the first to shine a spotlight on the silent majority yearning for change and predicting the BN’s collapse.

Amid huge scepticism, Invoke had gained recognition with their surveys of registered voters, and received major crowdfunding from many ordinary Malaysians.

Those inclined toward data would have sat up and seen these as early signals of a reticent yet dissatisfied majority - a sign that Pakatan clearly paid close attention to.

Many other groups of data had long suggested that Malaysians have been feeling the economic pinch. Despite feel-good headline GDP figures, a more nuanced appreciation of other figures presented a different picture.



Bread-and-butter worries had weighed heavily on voters' minds, incomes were lagging the cost of living, and housing affordability had worsened, including in Johor. Bank Negara Malaysia had been vocal on these problems.



READ: A commentary on playing the race card in GE14.



READ: A commentary on the bewildering game of Malaysia politics and the rot within the Barisan Nasional.

Official data also showed that Malaysians' incomes had been growing slower compared to that of foreign workers. The median income of Malaysians rose 5.9 per cent while non-citizens enjoyed an 8.5 per cent income growth in recent years.

Concerns about high-debt China projects and the worries about a debt-laden future facing young Malaysians were openly talked about at ceramahs held by Pakatan Harapan.



Pakatan Harapan also connected with Malaysians in running a campaign heavily focused on removing the GST and getting rid of corruption, a strategy that has paid off handsomely.

Where unlocking Malay votes which make up 70 per cent of the population was key to winning this election, the Mahathir Mohamad factor brought Pakatan Harapan access to FELDA and rural seats, even to some extent Sarawak and Sabah, despite his touchy history with them.

Many remember him for the developmental state policies implemented during his time as Prime Minister and the benefits these brought their hometowns. The civil service also respects him.

Pakatan Harapan also made a virtue out of necessity when Mahathir’s party was deregistered. The coalition’s decision to use the PKR logo to contest all coalition seats - a decision attributed to Mahathir - opened up access to Malay voters concerned about “DAP dominance”.



The ability of the reformist nonagenarian to appeal to a wider Malay vote also seemed to have nudged disgruntled urban voters. They came out in droves as volunteers to oversee the polling process, and encouraged Singapore and even Australia-based Malaysians to travel back to cast their vote. No one had an excuse for inactivity when someone so much older seemed to be working so hard.



The BN’s rapid-fire spray-gun electoral tactics ruffled Malaysian voter sentiments. There was anger and frustration at what seemed like voter suppression and sneaky tactics.

Gerrymandering, electoral rules announced post-nomination day, the disqualification of candidates - all these issues culminated in voters' perceptions that BN was trying to rig the election in its favour.

Voter anger was already stoked when a Wednesday polling day was announced. This did have an impact on voter turnout, which at approximately 75 per cent takes us back to 2008 levels as anticipated.

Voters who had to travel back to their hometowns to vote also endured longer travelling durations. Traffic flows across main routes connecting urban residents to their hometowns, such as Klang Valley to Ipoh (blue), to Penang (grey), to Kota Bharu (orange), to Kuala Terengganu (green) and Singapore to Johor (purple), showed spikes as high as 60 per cent more time needed to travel along the same route. Yet this did little to dampen Malaysians' enthusiasm to exercise their vote.



Two decades ago, I was among a handful of non-Malays who one afternoon visited the home of Anwar Ibrahim.

Malay voters then were pining for change, but Chinese voters clung to BN amid concerns about the Asian Financial Crisis and widespread street demonstrations in Malaysia and racial riots in Indonesia. Their votes cancelled each other out, buying the BN more time.

The tide swung in 2008, and again in 2013 where the popular vote went to the opposition. This shifted the ground for political elites within BN, and mobilised the silent majority suffering economically including those among East Malaysian communities.

LAST MINUTE FUMBLES, LOSING CONTROL OVER THE NARRATIVE



Both Mahathir and Najib Razak addressed the nation on the night of Tuesday (May 8), hours before polls opened.



While Mahathir relied on rhetoric and spoke about addressing sexism, discrimination, and protecting human rights and free speech, Najib spent this broadcast promising voters additional "goodies" to sweeten BN's manifesto.

However, the promises of tax exemptions for 26-year-olds and below, the doubling of BR1M handouts, and toll-free roads during Hari Raya did not seem to impress voters where many saw these as a last ditch effort by BN to buy votes.



BN also lost control over the narrative. Prevalence of social media, increased access to reliable data on mobile phones, and extensive use of Facebook within the country means BN can no longer rely on its usual blend of state-owned media stations - Bernama, TV1, TV3, Astro Awani - to control the narrative and messaging around key election issues.

In comparison, capitalising on the explosion in social media use by Malaysian voters, up from 15 per cent of the population in GE13 to 60 per cent this general election, Pakatan Harapan livestreamed all its major rallies and campaign speeches on platforms such as Facebook Live and Ubah.tv.

Voters around the country could share or watch the videos after they were filmed. This allowed Pakatan to reach a wider audience, beyond those who physically attended their rallies.



Pakatan enjoyed super dominance in urban-industrial areas as a result. There were incredible 83 per cent vote wins in Subang and similar results in Bangi and Damansara.

Johor urban centres majorities also went to Pakatan with dominating leads with 40 to 50 per cent majorities in Iskandar Puteri and Tebrau. In Penang, Pakatan trounced BN, claiming 37 out of 40 state seats.

The business community (located mostly in West Coast urban centres) was overwhelming in their vote and supported a change, but did so with their eyes wide open to the looming economic transition challenges.

The Malaysian ringgit has dipped but recovered slightly since. The declaration of public holidays and resulting suspension of trading over May 10 to 11 may help arrest a decline in the stock market.

Foreigners expected an easy Najib-BN win and only recently recalibrated this view to a tough win. They and others have been increasingly concerned about the future.

Like many Malaysians, they hope Malaysia will get the check-and-balance of a two-party system right. It bodes well for the Malaysia economy and investment prospects if the capital and brain drain can be reversed; and the fiscal and debt situation can be fixed.



For now, it seems Malaysian politics have moved to the middle with two centrist groups emerging post GE14 - all thanks to Pakatan’s successful campaign strategy and moves to counter BN’s dubious tactics.

Khor Yu Leng is an independent political economist at Segi Enam Advisors.</s>Early exit polls show the Prime Minister's coalition Barisan Nasional (BN)– which has been in power for 61 years – clings to a slight lead with 24 of Parliament's seats. Unofficial results show 92-year-old Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) leader Mahathir Mohamad – a former Prime Minister and mentor of Najib - has clinched 17, reports Reuters. A total of just 122 is needed to secure victory, while 505 state seats are also being contested in the 14th general election of Malaysia.



It is though Najib will win overall, despite losing key states such as Kelantan, Penang and Selangor. An election-eve opinion poll suggested that support for BN was slipping and Mahathir's alliance would land the most votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population in this Southeast Asian nation. Najib 64, said he was confident of victory when he cast his vote, following what he has described as "vicious" attacks on him during the campaign.

A ticketing system was placed to ensure orderly voting. As many as 15 million registered Malaysians went to cast their vote. Results are expected to be announced overnight after a hotly-fought contest. How does the Malaysia Election work?

Elections in Malaysia exist at two levels: federal level and state level. Federal level elections are those for membership in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state-level elections are for membership in the various State Legislative Assemblies. The winner of the election works on a basis of whoever gets the most seats throughout the election - even if it does not win the popular vote. At the federal level, voters elect the 222-member House of Representatives to Parliament.</s>In his first appearance since his party's shock loss, former prime minister Najib Razak said yesterday morning that the King would determine who the next prime minister would be because no single party has a simple majority.

"According to the Constitution, it will be based on who has the confidence of the majority in the Dewan Rakyat," he told a press conference.

"We trust the wisdom of the King to make the best choice," he said, in an indication that he was stopping short of conceding power.

The Election Commission's official results tally early yesterday morning showed that Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its allies had surpassed the 112 seats required to gain control of the 222-seat Parliament, with its haul of 121 seats.

PH's member parties contested the election under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat logo, winning 104 seats.

But PH member Democratic Action Party used its own logo in Sabah and Sarawak, winning nine seats, and Parti Warisan Sabah, which has said it will support PH, won eight seats.

Datuk Seri Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won 79 seats, a far cry from the 133 seats it garnered in the last election in 2013.
• 79 Number of parliamentary seats won by Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional coalition. It had secured 133 seats in 2013.

In an eight-minute address in Malay later yesterday, Mr Najib said he accepted the verdict of the people and that BN is committed to respecting the principles of parliamentary democracy.

The 65-year-old BN chairman made his sombre statement at Umno headquarters in Putra World Trade Centre, flanked by party leaders including Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Mr Khairy Jamaluddin.

Mr Najib said he was committed to ensuring the best decision in the interests of the people and the country.

"Malaysia is a special country, I and my colleagues feel honoured to have led the country. I want to thank my colleagues in BN again, and their families for their support for BN," he said in a quivering voice.

He began his statement by noting that there was no cheating by BN during the general election, contrary to "defamatory and seditious statements" saying likewise.

"There was no cheating by Barisan Nasional members," he said.

There had also been rumours on Wednesday night that the National Security Council had met and was going to declare a state of emergency.

"That was another lie, there was no such meeting," he said.

He also noted that since he took the helm in 2009, his government had tried its best to ensure people's quality of life and the future of the next generation.

"Poverty levels are their lowest, we have world-class infrastructure and the economy has grown to a level we can be proud of, as verified by IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank," he said.

"We did our best, but I admit there were some imperfections, but our priority has always been to ensure the security and prosperity of Malaysians.

"Now, the rakyat (people) will wait and see if the promises by (Pakatan Harapan) that were made in their manifesto and speeches are kept," said Mr Najib.

Despite the poor showing by BN, Mr Najib said the 79 seats won were a mandate of "great responsibility".

"We will carry out our responsibilities so that the rakyat can trust Barisan more in the future," he said.</s>Polls have closed in Malaysia in what is being billed as the country's tightest-ever election, clouded by a corruption scandal linked to one of its leading candidates.

With nearly 15 million registered voters, polls opened at 00:00 GMT on Wednesday across the country and closed at 09:00 GMT.

Malaysia's 14th general election pits incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is seeking a third term, against his one-time mentor and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib, who has been in power since 2009, cast his ballot in the city of Pekan.

"It's been a calm election in terms of the physical aspect of the election," he told reporters.

"It's not been that tense, but it has been quite vicious in the content of the personal attacks which doesn't reflect a mature democracy," he added.

"But the most important thing is for the people to decide on the destiny of this nation, and it must be based on facts, it must be based on policy, it must be based on who can execute the best plan for the nation and for the people."

By 05:00 GMT, voter turnout was at 55 percent - lower than the last election in 2013, according to statistics released by the Election Commission.

Al Jazeera's Florence Looi, reporting from the capital, Kuala Lumpur, said it was the first time voting was held mid-week.

"The government declared it as a public holiday, but it is still going to make it quite difficult for some people who are working, perhaps in the bigger cities, but are still registered to vote in their hometowns and small areas, who have to travel back to vote," Looi said.

Najib's ruling right-wing party, Barisan Nasional, has been in power since the country gained independence in 1957.

But allegations of his links to a corruption scandal involving a state-owned investment fund has cast a shadow over his election campaign. Najib has denied any wrongdoing in the case.

Meanwhile, his main challenger, Mahathir quit his old party and gave the opposition a boost when he forged an alliance with them.

The 92-year-old's return to politics, as chairman of Pakatan Harapan, or Alliance of Hope, gave a new lease of life to the opposition alliance, which had been floundering since its leader Anwar Ibrahim was jailed for sodomy on what his supporters said were politically motivated charges.

"You've got two political heavyweights leading the battle," said Al Jazeera's Looi.

According to polls on Tuesday, Najib's ruling Barisan Nasional party could take up to 100 seats out of the 222 up for grabs in the parliament, falling short of a clear majority win.

Al Jazeera's Looi said: "37 seats are too close to call".

Among the key election issues has been the rising cost of living in the country, with many voters placing blame on the goods and services tax that was imposed three years ago.

"I hope personally and maybe people share my thoughts, we hope for some kind of change that will bring prosperity to our country," Zulkifli Bin Mat Saad, a voter, told Al Jazeera.

"So, whoever it is [that wins] please stay true to whatever manifesto or promises, and hold on to those promises and principles."

Another voter, Muhamad Nursuhairi, said: "I feel so lucky and happy, that I could vote today. And that I could exercise my responsibility as a Malaysian citizen."</s>The opposition is set to form a new government in Malaysia, after official figures showed that the Pakatan Harapan coalition has won the 112 parliament seats needed for a simple majority.

The result brings an end to the rule of Barisan Nasional, which has governed Malaysia since independence.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Pakatan Harapan also captured seven out of 13 states in Wednesday's (May 9) election: Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perak and Johor.

It was a stunning result in the southernmost state - Johor has been held by the Barisan Nasional since independence. Incumbent chief minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin lost his seat in Pasir Gudang to PKR's Hassan Abdul Karim by a whopping 24,726 votes.



The states of Kelantan and Terengganu went to PAS.

The 14th General Election also saw at least two Barisan Nasional heavyweights - Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai and Health Minister S Subramaniam - lose their parliamentary seats.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, meanwhile, retained his Pekan parliamentary seat in Pahang.

Advertisement

Advertisement

All 222 parliamentary seats were contested, along with 505 state seats. Nearly 14.5 million Malaysians were eligible to vote at the country's 8,253 polling stations.

Swipe to refresh our live blog for updates on election results:



</s>Mr Razak’s long ruling party are engaged in a cliff hanger contest against a resurgent opposition alliance led by former Malaysian leader Mohair Mohamad. But Mr Razak’s Barisan Nasional (BN) have lost seats in key states, fuelling speculation the party could be voted out of power. Key battleground states that have long been BN strongholds include Kelantan, Penang and Selangor.

Five hours after polling stations closed, BN had won 24 of Parliaments 222 seats. State news agency Bernama reported that unofficial results shows opposition Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) had 17, reports Reuters. An election-eve opinion poll suggested that support for BN was slipping and Mahathir's alliance would land the most votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population in this Southeast Asian nation.

In total, 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state assembly seats in 12 states are being voted on by as many as 15 million registered Malaysians. Most results are expected before midnight local time but the count may spill into the early hours of Thursday. Mr Razak, 64, said he was confident of victory when he cast his vote, following what he has described as "vicious" attacks on him during the campaign.

He faced criticism over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund (1MDB), which he was accused of siphoning billions of dollars from. The US Department of Justice has filed several lawsuits to seize more than $1.7 billion in assets believed to have been stolen from 1MDB. Mr Razak, the chariman of the 1MDB advisory board, denied any wrong doing and was cleared by Malaysia's attorney general.
The opposition Pakatan Harapan has obtained a majority in the Parliament, defeating the incumbent Barisan Nasional government led by Najib Razak. This marks the first ever change of government in Malaysia's 61-year history.