Home>News Center>World
         
 

Big win gives Malaysia's Abdullah mandate for change
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-03-22 10:17

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's resounding victory over an Islamist opposition in parliamentary and state polls on Sunday has given him a mandate for change that will start with his cabinet.

When Abdullah took over in October from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad, he was widely seen as a transitional leader.

But after one of the biggest wins in Malaysia's history, Abdullah should master his notoriously factional United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

"I'm confident to say there will be a few young faces in my cabinet," Abdullah told a news conference which followed jubilant scenes at his party's headquarters.

UMNO has led all of Malaysia's multi-ethnic alliances since independence from Britain in 1957. But the loss of more than half the popular Malay vote in the 1999 election raised questions whether it could still represent the ethnic Malay majority.

Abdullah laid those doubts to rest as he put the Islamist challenge of Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) to flight in the Malay heartland states in the north of the peninsula.

Returned with a parliamentary majority of well over two thirds, the multi-ethnic Barisan Nasional coalition that UMNO heads can pass laws uncontested. The Barisan took 90 percent of the seats, with a handful of results still to come.

The success was matched in polls for provincial assemblies, with the ruling parties winning 12 of the 13 states.

Results in the last state, Kelantan, currently held by PAS, will be announced at about 10.00 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Monday after recounts in eight of the 45 seats.

Malay voters deserted UMNO in 1999 after Mahathir sacked and jailed his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.

But the floodtide in favor of Abdullah also seemed to wipe out Keadilan, the party that sprang out of Anwar's reform movement and which was allied with PAS.

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was also facing a recount in her seat, which was once occupied by her husband who is now serving a 15-year jail term for sodomy and abuse of power, and the party looked unlikely to win any other seats.

PAS had set the political agenda with its ambitions to turn a country where 40 percent of the people are non-Muslims into a strict Islamic state, governed by laws written centuries ago prescribing punishments such as stoning and amputation.

But the hardline preachers who lead PAS were unable to counteract the goodwill Abdullah generated during his first months in power through a campaign against corruption.

Hailing from a long line of Muslim scholars, Abdullah was able to command respect for his modern, tolerant views on Islam.

"We would like to promote Islam which is progressive and at the same time practices tolerance toward other non-Muslims in Malaysia," Abdullah told the post-victory news conference.

"And it seems to be an idea accepted by Muslims and non-Muslims."

The arrest of a cabinet minister and a well known businessman persuaded people Abdullah meant what he said, and there are strong expectations that bigger fish may be hauled in.

Domestic and foreign investors welcomed Abdullah's win, which had been priced into rising share and bond markets, but the margin of victory could excite more buying.

"The business community will be very happy, and so will foreign investors, because this means continuity in the pro-growth, moderate approach," said Choo Swee Kee, fund manager at KLCS Asset Management.

 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Office: Beijing watches Taiwan developments closely

 

   
 

State tightens farmland protection

 

   
 

Doctor starts 49-day fast to test TCM regimen

 

   
 

Fighting follows Afghan minister's killing

 

   
 

China values military ties with neighbors

 

   
 

Dad asks: 'Who's my kid's papa?'

 

   
  Al-Qaeda's No 2 claims to have nukes
   
  100 die in violence as Afghan minister assassinated
   
  Big win gives Malaysia's Abdullah mandate for change
   
  Attacks kill two GIs, two Iraqi civilians
   
  Fastest runner in Iraq brings Olympic hope
   
  Global protests rally against Iraq war
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Voting starts in Malaysia
   
Basic information about Malaysia
   
Malaysian Land Minister gets bail on graft charge
   
Regional economy: Malaysia after Mahathir
   
Praise and silence follow Mahathir into retirement
  News Talk  
  The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2003  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 在线免费观看韩国a视频| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区免费| 好爽好深好猛好舒服视频上| 亚洲欧美成人日韩| 精品人妻AV无码一区二区三区| 国产在线xvideos| 中文字幕免费在线看线人| 成人毛片免费观看视频在线| 久久精品国产99久久久| 欧美不卡一区二区三区| 亚洲欧美日韩在线不卡| 狠狠色狠狠色很很综合很久久| 国产成人免费ā片在线观看| chinese国产xxxx实拍| 日韩欧美一区二区三区免费看| 亚洲婷婷第一狠人综合精品| 激情综合色五月六月婷婷| 国产中文字幕乱人伦在线观看| 97青青草视频| 好爽好多水好得真紧| 三上悠亚中文字幕在线| 扒开双腿疯狂进出爽爽爽动态图| 亚洲国产av美女网站| 精品午夜久久福利大片免费| 国产一级毛片卡| 青青青手机视频在线观看| 国产边摸边吃奶叫床视频| 中文字幕免费在线观看| 欧美午夜理伦三级在线观看| 亚洲福利在线视频| 老鸭窝在线观看视频的网址| 国产精品污WWW在线观看| 中文字幕一区二区精品区| 日本午夜免费福利视频| 亚洲无线一二三四区| 波多野结衣bt| 亚洲色大成网站www永久男同| 老湿机一区午夜精品免费福利| 国产在线无码精品无码| 黄色毛片电影黄色毛片| 国产麻豆精品一区二区三区V视界|