Major defeat for long-ruling bloc
Malaysia’s ruling coalition suffered its biggest electoral upset ever, losing control of four state governments and more than one-third of parliament, amid public frustration over racial tensions, crime and corruption.
It was a humiliating outcome for the National Front coalition, which has governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, and raised questions about the political future of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
A key issue in the elections was disillusionment among ethnic Chinese and Indians, who have long complained of discrimination, particularly an affirmative action system that gives Muslim Malays preference in jobs, business and education.
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