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Friday, Jan. 10
The Indiana Daily Student

world

Malaysia ushers in new premier

Victory prevents fundamentalist party from assuming power

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysians gave their secular prime minister a huge election victory Sunday, smashing a fundamentalist Muslim party that had wanted to impose an Islamic state in the Southeast Asian country.\nThe results were seen as a personal endorsement for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose low-key style has proved a sharp contrast to his combative predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad.\nMany voters -- especially the Chinese and Indian minorities -- had feared Islamic fundamentalism was on the rise in Malaysia, a country that has detained scores of suspected terrorists in the past two years, some linked to al Qaeda.\nAbdullah's United Malays National Organization scored huge gains in two states in the rural north -- the stronghold of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.\nFinal results from the Election Commission showed Abdullah's party claimed Terengganu state with 28 seats to three for the Islamic party, with one being recounted.\nThe parties were neck and neck in Kelantan -- held by the Islamic party since 1990 -- with final results not expected until later Monday. UMNO went from two seats in Kelantan to at least 16.\nNationally, the National Front coalition won at least 167 seats in the 219-member federal Parliament, surpassing the 146 needed for a two-thirds majority. Final results were not due until later Monday.\nAbdullah declared victory at his party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he joined hands with his wife and deputy prime minister to lead a sing-along of the party's theme song before a cheering crowd.\n"The people have accepted that the National Front is strong and capable enough to fulfill a mandate to develop our country and make it safe and peaceful for everyone," Abdullah said.\nStunned supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party gathered at the home of its leader, Abdul Hadi Awang, who was visibly shaken and on the verge of tears.\nParty officials were at a loss to explain the results. "It was all up to God," said Zaihan Mohamed Daud, a senior official. "But it doesn't matter. Our reward is in heaven."\nIn another surprising result, jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's party lost all five of its seats -- disappearing as fast as it burst onto Malaysia's political scene five years ago, when Anwar was dumped as Mahathir's anointed successor.\nEven Azizah Ismail, Anwar's wife, lost her parliamentary seat.\nThe result reflected how much support for Anwar has faded since he was convicted to 15 years in prison on sodomy and corruption charges. He claims the charges were fabricated to prevent him challenging Mahathir, who denies it.\nThe only winner among opposition parties was the Democratic Action Party, a nonreligious, multiethnic group that was largely sidelined during a campaign dominated by debate about the role of Islam. It won at least seven parliamentary seats.\nOfficials reported high turnout rates among the country's 10.3 million registered voters, who chose federal Parliament candidates and 505 assembly members in 12 of Malaysia's 13 states.\nVoting went smoothly at most of about 7,300 polling centers, but problems with electoral rolls and ballot papers forced officials to extend voting for two hours in central Selangor state and abandon it altogether in one assembly district in eastern Pahang state.\nAbdullah has sought support in ending years of Mahathir-era cronyism and promoting a moderate, progressive version of Islam.\nThe opposition claimed it was an election ploy, and Adullah's party -- which has been the core of every governing coalition since independence -- is rotten with greed and is leading Malaysia's Muslims down an immoral path.\nVoters objected to personal attacks against Abdullah, who is widely respected for his politeness -- a contrast to the confrontational Mahathir.\nMahathir retired in October in a blaze of controversy after telling a summit of Islamic leaders that Jews rule the world by proxy, drawing a rebuke from President Bush and other Western leaders.\n"Abdullah has achieved in four months what Mahathir failed to do for many years -- bring back the Malays into UMNO's fold," said political analyst Yahya Ismail.

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