Malaysia PM’s future unclear after poll

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia’s prime minister said Sunday he does not intend to quit despite unprecedented electoral losses that gave the opposition control of five states and one-third of the Parliament.
Former longtime leader Mahathir Mohamad called for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s resignation, saying he had “apparently made the wrong choice” when he hand-picked Abdullah to succeed him in 2003.
“My view is that he has destroyed” the National Front coalition, Mahathir told reporters Sunday. “It’s shocking. ... We have now a very weak government, and a weak government in a multiracial country will find great difficulty in running the country.”
The National Front coalition has governed Malaysia since its independence from Britain in 1957. Scores of senior coalition officials lost their seats in the federal and state legislatures in Saturday’s general elections, the National Front’s worst performance ever.
The result reflected a huge protest vote sparked by disillusionment among minority ethnic Chinese and Indians who have long complained about discrimination — particularly an affirmative action system that gives the majority Muslim Malays preference in jobs, business and education. People also were upset over rising prices and crime.
National news agency Bernama quoted the prime minister as saying he does not need to step down because he still has strong support, especially from ruling party leaders.
“I will not resign because there is no pressure,” he was quoted as saying. Abdullah added he would be sworn in on Monday at the national palace for a new five-year term.
Abdullah kept away from the public eye following a brief news conference at which he confirmed the National Front had secured a simple majority in the 222-member Parliament.
The National Front won only 140 seats — or 63 percent of the constituencies — losing its two-thirds majority for the first time since 1969 and slumping from its 2004 landslide victory when it won 91 percent of the seats.
Coalition leaders were huddled in meetings Sunday to contemplate their next step, but they sought to show a united stance. Deputy Information Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said “there is no doubt or question at all in the top ranks” that Abdullah should continue to lead the coalition and the country.
“The prime minister has a full mandate. He will appoint a new Cabinet,” Ahmad Zahid told The Associated Press. “There is no one person to blame for what happened. We all are taking the collective responsibility.”
Dozens of National Front officials gathered at Abdullah’s official residence in the administrative capital, Putrajaya, to “express their support for the boss,” said Abdullah’s spokeswoman, Wan Esuriyanti Wan Ahmad.
Senior government lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the National Front faced “a period of uncertainty such as we have never experienced before.” “This is a historic crisis,” he said. “To begin immediately the process of restoring ourselves, the leadership team must wake from its slumber, face the truth and accept full responsibility for this debacle.”
Simultaneous ballots for 12 state legislatures culminated in the National Front losing control of the assembly in northern Penang, the only state where ethnic Chinese are a majority. It also lost control of Selangor, Kedah and Perak states for the first time, and failed to wrest Kelantan state back from the opposition.
“This is a defining moment, unprecedented in our nation’s history,” said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. “The people have voted decisively for a new era where the government must be truly inclusive and recognize that all Malaysians, regardless of race and color, culture and religion, are a nation of one.”—Agencies