Malaysians vote amid Oppn cry for reforms

MALAYSIA, NOVEMBER 29: Voting in the legislative elections in Malaysia began on Monday at 8:00 am 0530 hrs IST. People lined up outside...

MALAYSIA, NOVEMBER 29: Voting in the legislative elections in Malaysia began on Monday at 8:00 am 0530 hrs IST. People lined up outside schools and other public buildings that had been converted into polling stations. Election results are expected to begin trickling in late today.

The Opposition, galvanized by the sacking and arrest of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, has conceded that it won8217;t be able to oust Mahathir. But it claims to have changed Malaysian politics by highlighting corruption, abuse of power and the lack of civil liberties, democracy and press freedom.

Anwar8217;s wife, Azizah Ismail, now heads his National Justice Party and is contesting for a parliamentary seat.

in the eight-day campaign following the announcement of the snap vote, Mahathir has leaned heavily on warnings about race relations and religion, and portrayed the Opposition as extremists who could turn Malaysia into an Islamic state.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, accompanied by his wife Siti Hasmah MohamedAli, arrived at a polling station in his Kubang Pasu constituency to cheers and handshakes from supporters of his National Front coalition. Rival supporters of the Parti Islam Se Malaysia PAS shouted the Opposition rallying cry outside the polling centre in a school.

Mahathir, facing his fifth and probably last election at age 73, looked relaxed but made no comment to mediapersons. He has held the seat in the northern state of Kedah since 1974 and had a majority of 17,226 in 1995.

The premier is being challenged by former PAS information chief Subky Latif, a journalist with the Islamic party8217;s newspaper Harakah

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. Sukby said last week that in taking on Mahathir he felt quot;like Lennox Lewis,quot; the boxer who this month lifted the world champion8217;s crown.

Mahathir was due to leave in the afternoon for National Front headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where he will watch the results as they come in. Victory press conferences have already been scheduled. The National Front, in power since independence in 1957,is certain to win the general election.

But Mahathir, premier for 18 years, has staked his political reputation on retaining the two-thirds parliamentary majority which the coalition has enjoyed for 30 years.