The opposition is set to form a new government in Malaysia, after official figures showed that the Pakatan Harapan coalition has won the 112 parliament seats needed for a simple majority.

The result brings an end to the rule of Barisan Nasional, which has governed Malaysia since independence.

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Pakatan Harapan also captured seven out of 13 states in Wednesday's (May 9) election: Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perak and Johor.

It was a stunning result in the southernmost state - Johor has been held by the Barisan Nasional since independence. Incumbent chief minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin lost his seat in Pasir Gudang to PKR's Hassan Abdul Karim by a whopping 24,726 votes.



The states of Kelantan and Terengganu went to PAS.

The 14th General Election also saw at least two Barisan Nasional heavyweights - Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai and Health Minister S Subramaniam - lose their parliamentary seats.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, meanwhile, retained his Pekan parliamentary seat in Pahang.

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All 222 parliamentary seats were contested, along with 505 state seats. Nearly 14.5 million Malaysians were eligible to vote at the country's 8,253 polling stations.

Swipe to refresh our live blog for updates on election results: </s> Kuala Lumpur : Mahathir Muhamad has claimed an extraordinary victory in Malaysia's 14th general election, opening the door to the first change of government in the 61 years since the country's independence.

Official results from the Malaysian electoral commission suggested at 2.30am (AEDT) that Mahathir's opponent Pakatan Harapan from the Alliance of Hope and its allied parties had so far won 48 seats, while the Prime Minister Najib Razak's governing Barisan Nasional (National Coalition) and its allies had won 46 seats.

An hour earlier, the 92-year-old Mahathir, who served as prime minister for 22 years until 2003, told media gathered at Kuala Lumpur's Sheraton Hotel that, based on unofficial counting, "it would seem that we have practically achieved that figure [112] and the figure for the Barisan Nasional is very much lower than that".

"We believe that from our official counting that they're left far behind. The likelihood is that they will not be forming the government. There is no way they can catch up," he said, adding that the opposition was also on track for victory in five state elections. </s> related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

KUALA LUMPUR: In a stunning result that made political history, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition crossed the minimum threshold of 112 seats needed to form Malaysia's new government, according to figures from the Election Commission early Thursday (May 10) morning.

The result brings to an end the rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), which has dominated Malaysian politics for decades.

In a press conference just before the official confirmation, opposition leader and former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said PH had achieved a victory.

"We have achieved a very substantial majority," said the 92-year-old.

PH component parties Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Democratic Action Party officially crossed the victory threshold at around 4am after a long night of results which saw power steadily ebbing away from Najib Razak and his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party. The final official result showed that PH had won 113 seats, with BN on 79.



Dr Mahathir also said that a palace request has been made for Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be the designated deputy Prime Minister.



The 92-year-old pledged a government that would include a "young person" and said he would honour his agreement to help secure a royal pardon for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

However, he added that Anwar would have to win a by-election or be elected senator in order for him to take over as prime minister from Dr Mahathir, as per their agreement.

FIRST SIGN OF AN UPSET

The first sign that an upset was on the cards came when unofficial results started trickling in about four hours after the ballot boxes were closed.

At about 9pm, Bernama reported that caretaker Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, the president of BN component party Malaysian Chinese Association, had lost his Bentong seat to PKR’s Wong Tack.

Caretaker Health Minister S Subramaniam, of BN component party Malaysian Indian Congress, was the next major casualty, losing his Segamat seat in Johor to PKR’s R Santhara Kumar.

At 9.30pm, there was respite for BN when word came in that incumbent prime minister Najib Razak – had successfully defended his Pekan seat in Pahang.

But the bloodbath continued for the ruling coalition.

By 9.45pm, another four deputy ministers had landed on the scrapheap.

At about the same time, it emerged that Mahathir would make a return to parliament after winning his Langkawi seat.

The result throws into doubt Najib Razak's position in his party.

While he had been praised for his fiscal policies, he was also unpopular for rolling out a goods and services tax in addition to being a target of unwanted international attention over allegations funds were misappropriated from a state fund he advised, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He has denied any wrongdoing.



It was the controversy over the fund, however, that sparked Malaysia's longest serving prime minister's return to active politics after 22 years of retirement.

Mahathir had accused his former protege Najib of corruption and abuse of power before quitting UMNO to form his own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

But at a press conference, Mahathir vowed: "We are not seeking revenge. We want to restore the rule of law."



As well as seizing control of the national government, several state legislatures across the country fell into opposition hands for the first time, including the highly symbolic bastion of Johor, the birthplace of Najib's party that was the lynchpin of the ruling coalition.



As it became clear that Mahathir had won, supporters took to the streets waving flags of the opposition alliance.

After polls closed earlier in the day, journalists had flocked to the headquarters of Najib's UMNO, but he failed to turn up to give a speech and the media were told to leave.

Huge numbers of voters earlier flocked to the polls across the country, despite Najib having called the election on a weekday in what critics said was a bid to keep turnout down.

The BN wipeout is a disaster for Najib, who had been under pressure to score an emphatic win after the government lost the popular vote for the first time at the last elections in 2013. </s> In Election Upset, Malaysia's Mahathir Returns To Power After A Quarter Century

Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's former prime minister who came out of retirement in his 90s to challenge his own party's embattled incumbent, has won a surprise victory in elections — ending more than six decades of rule by the country's dominant party.

Mahathir, who was already the country's longest-serving prime minister when he resigned in 2003, will become the world's oldest elected leader at 92 after defeating Prime Minister Najib Razak, who had been mired in a long-running and all-encompassing corruption scandal.

Although Mahathir has taken back the post he held previously for more than two decades as the head of the dominant United Malays National Organization-Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, this time he ran under a new party banner — the Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), and his win ushers in the first real change in government since Malaysia won independence from British rule in 1957.

Pakatan Harapan won a majority in parliament and is expected to sweep state elections once all the votes are counted.

In a news conference Thursday, Mahathir — who was often criticized for his heavy-handed rule in the past — says the win is a clear mandate to form a new government.

He expects to be sworn in as prime minister immediately. However, a technicality whereby Malaysia's king must first invite the premier because Mahathir's coalition only achieved a simple majority, could delay when the new leader takes over.

"There is an urgency here, we need to form the government now, today," Mahathir told reporters.

A defeated Najib, in his own press conference on Thursday, said he and his colleagues "accept the verdict of the people" and that his party "will honor the principle of democracy in the parliament."

Naijib, 64, was under massive pressure in the run-up to the election thanks to various allegations of corruption and misappropriation of billions in state funds in a scandal that became known as 1MDB and became subject to an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.

The elections were made more contentious when Naijib and his party were accused of trying to skew election results in their favor by redrawing electoral lines based on race and ethnic grouping, while railroading an anti-Fake News bill through parliament.

That bill, one of the first of its kind passed in the world, allowed for up to six years in jail and fines as high as $130,000 for anyone found guilty by the government of spreading and publishing misleading information. The law saw one person prosecuted ahead of the election.

Furthermore, the opposition was afraid an election held mid-week would suppress voter turnout and many in the Malaysia diaspora were furious — who are allowed to vote absentee — about the length of time it took them to get their voting ballots.

As the results of the election started to roll in, supporters of Mahathir poured into the streets in celebration.

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome, told NPR that many of the voters were simply unhappy with the high cost of living and unpopular tax hikes, and embarrassed by the 1MDB scandal.

She says Malaysia has moved in a very brave direction.

"It's repudiated the government that's been in power for 61 years in a rout," she says. "And it's moving and I think it's entering a new period of its political history with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of hope."

She told the Associated Press that Mahathir's run was a game-changer for the opposition.

"There is a massive swing across races. It's a big shift. This is a repudiation of Najib's government from all walks of life from the very rural northern states to the more industrial southern coast," she says. Though there is a sense of elation, people don't know what to make of it.

Umpagan Ampikaipakan, a Malaysian radio broadcaster with the country's only independent English-language talk radio station, spoke to NPR about the unique nature of the election outcome.

"This has never, ever happened. I don't think anyone was expecting it, because it's very similar to a kind of Brexit-Trump situation in that almost every opinion poll, almost every survey done, almost every op-ed written had Najib Razak returning to power, maybe [by] a slim majority," he says. "So this was quite a shock to most people."

Even so, Ampikaipakan says there is still a lot of unknowns about the opposition party's plans moving forward, especially in terms of economics and foreign policy, because there has never been anyone else in charge.

"What we do know is that when Dr. [Mahathir] Mohamad ... was prime minister a decade and a half ago, he had an interesting relationship with America," he says. "He was publicly very critical about America and American policies, but privately ... we discovered that actually he had a very close relationship with America."

Ampikaipakan says he doesn't know what that means, though, under the Trump administration.

"Ironically, the relationship between Malaysia and America was probably the strongest during the reign of our outgoing prime minister Najib Razak," he says. </s> KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia 's defeated leader Najib Razak said Thursday he accepted the will of the people after his long-ruling coalition suffered a shock election loss to 92-year-old former strongman Mahathir Mohamad "I accept the verdict of the people," the leader, who looked shattered after his coalition's defeat, said. But he added that because no single party got a majority in parliament, it was up to the king to decide who will become prime minister.Mahathir's opposition won 121 seats, if a small ally from Sabah state is included. There are 222 seats in parliament and a majority is needed to form a government.The veteran ex-leader, who led the country with an iron first for over two decades, stormed to a shock victory at the hard-fought election early Thursday, beating Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that has been in charge for over six decades. </s> In his first appearance since his party's shock loss, former prime minister Najib Razak said yesterday morning that the King would determine who the next prime minister would be because no single party has a simple majority.

"According to the Constitution, it will be based on who has the confidence of the majority in the Dewan Rakyat," he told a press conference.

"We trust the wisdom of the King to make the best choice," he said, in an indication that he was stopping short of conceding power.

The Election Commission's official results tally early yesterday morning showed that Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its allies had surpassed the 112 seats required to gain control of the 222-seat Parliament, with its haul of 121 seats.

PH's member parties contested the election under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat logo, winning 104 seats.

But PH member Democratic Action Party used its own logo in Sabah and Sarawak, winning nine seats, and Parti Warisan Sabah, which has said it will support PH, won eight seats.

Datuk Seri Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won 79 seats, a far cry from the 133 seats it garnered in the last election in 2013.
• 79 Number of parliamentary seats won by Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional coalition. It had secured 133 seats in 2013.

In an eight-minute address in Malay later yesterday, Mr Najib said he accepted the verdict of the people and that BN is committed to respecting the principles of parliamentary democracy.

The 65-year-old BN chairman made his sombre statement at Umno headquarters in Putra World Trade Centre, flanked by party leaders including Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Mr Khairy Jamaluddin.

Mr Najib said he was committed to ensuring the best decision in the interests of the people and the country.

"Malaysia is a special country, I and my colleagues feel honoured to have led the country. I want to thank my colleagues in BN again, and their families for their support for BN," he said in a quivering voice.

He began his statement by noting that there was no cheating by BN during the general election, contrary to "defamatory and seditious statements" saying likewise.

"There was no cheating by Barisan Nasional members," he said.

There had also been rumours on Wednesday night that the National Security Council had met and was going to declare a state of emergency.

"That was another lie, there was no such meeting," he said.

He also noted that since he took the helm in 2009, his government had tried its best to ensure people's quality of life and the future of the next generation.

"Poverty levels are their lowest, we have world-class infrastructure and the economy has grown to a level we can be proud of, as verified by IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank," he said.

"We did our best, but I admit there were some imperfections, but our priority has always been to ensure the security and prosperity of Malaysians.

"Now, the rakyat (people) will wait and see if the promises by (Pakatan Harapan) that were made in their manifesto and speeches are kept," said Mr Najib.

Despite the poor showing by BN, Mr Najib said the 79 seats won were a mandate of "great responsibility".

"We will carry out our responsibilities so that the rakyat can trust Barisan more in the future," he said. </s> Mahathir Mohamad won a stunning victory in Malaysia’s election, ending the six-decade rule of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s party in a landmark shift for the Southeast Asian nation.

Mahathir, Malaysia’s longest-serving premier, who defected to the opposition to take on Najib, will return to power at the age of 92. His four-party Pakatan Harapan alliance won at least 112 of 222 parliamentary seats in Wednesday’s vote, official figures from the election commission showed.

“We are not seeking revenge,” Mahathir said. “What we want to do is to restore the rule of law.” </s> Early exit polls show the Prime Minister's coalition Barisan Nasional (BN)– which has been in power for 61 years – clings to a slight lead with 24 of Parliament's seats. Unofficial results show 92-year-old Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) leader Mahathir Mohamad – a former Prime Minister and mentor of Najib - has clinched 17, reports Reuters. A total of just 122 is needed to secure victory, while 505 state seats are also being contested in the 14th general election of Malaysia.



It is though Najib will win overall, despite losing key states such as Kelantan, Penang and Selangor. An election-eve opinion poll suggested that support for BN was slipping and Mahathir's alliance would land the most votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population in this Southeast Asian nation. Najib 64, said he was confident of victory when he cast his vote, following what he has described as "vicious" attacks on him during the campaign.

A ticketing system was placed to ensure orderly voting. As many as 15 million registered Malaysians went to cast their vote. Results are expected to be announced overnight after a hotly-fought contest. How does the Malaysia Election work?

Elections in Malaysia exist at two levels: federal level and state level. Federal level elections are those for membership in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state-level elections are for membership in the various State Legislative Assemblies. The winner of the election works on a basis of whoever gets the most seats throughout the election - even if it does not win the popular vote. At the federal level, voters elect the 222-member House of Representatives to Parliament. </s> Former Malaysian leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad is poised to become the world’s oldest prime minister after defeating Najib Razak in a fiercely contested election that put an end to the ruling coalition’s six-decade hold on power.

Mr Mahathir (92) who was prime minister between 1981 and 2003, led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan, to its first election victory since Malaysian independence in 1957, winning an outright parliamentary majority. He will be sworn in by the king on Thursday.

A euphoric mood gripped Malaysia at the announcement, which many had believed impossible. “We are so happy, such a proud day for Malaysia,” said David Thaiga (57), who joined others in the street to celebrate.

“We have been waiting for this for the past 60 years. This is a miracle for us. And even though I was not a fan of Mahathir, I think he was the only one who could have brought this victory.”

Sukumira Sekhar (84) witnessed the beginning of Malaysian independence and lived through 60 years of rule by the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, said: “I’m so happy I survived to see this. I wish I could jump up and down for joy, but be sure my heart is jumping up and down. I’m so proud of the people of Malaysia, especially the young people and the Malays who swung it.”

Mr Mahathir’s win marks the end of the nine-year tenure of Mr Najib, who came to power in 2009 and whose reputation was tarnished by the 1MDB corruption scandal in which $2.6 billion was embezzled from a government fund he was overseeing – including $681 million that was alleged to have ended up in his personal bank account.

Mr Mahathir’s victory marks the first time that a Malaysian prime minister will not be from the UMNO party and not be part of the BN coalition, of which UMNO is the main constituent.

The win indicates that a mood for change has gripped the country, following the “Malay tsunami” in which many ethnic Malay voted for the opposition for the first time.

Voter turnout was 76 per cent – lower than in the 2013 election – but the opposition took many states that were considered BN strongholds such as Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang.

The campaign also galvanised the youth vote for the first time, with young people taking to social media to add their support to the opposition.

“This is a pure adrenaline rush. We have been waiting for this change for the longest time,” said Naveen Kumar (31). “We have been infected with a BN government for so long and now it’s a total relief.”

Shaliz Kumar (28) said: “The young people had a big part to play in this. I called all my friends to make sure they had voted.”

The official results, usually announced by 11pm, were not released until about 3am, and some alleged that Mr Najib was trying to stall the announcement. Constituencies that were swinging towards the opposition also reported electricity blackouts, hindering the final count.

In the end, however, Mr Najib made no public statement after Mr Mahathir had claimed victory in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Mr Mahathir’s selection as opposition leader had made this an unusual election: he was an UMNO member when he first came to power in 1981, and played a key role selecting his protege Mr Najib as prime minister in 2009.

The relationship soured in 2015 after Mr Najib was implicated in the 1MDB scandal, and this year Mr Mahathir announced he was not only forming his own political party, Bersatu, but switching sides and joining the opposition coalition.

Mr Najib had initially been expected to win easily, but, as campaigning picked up, the opposition dominated the narrative, raising issues such as corruption and the rising cost of living.

After claiming victory on Thursday morning, Mr Mahathir was asked whether he would seek to prosecute Mr Najib for his alleged role in the 1MDB scandal. “We are not seeking revenge, we are seeking to restore the rule of law,” he said.

As part of his agreement with Pakatan Harapan, Mr Mahathir will only be prime minister for two years, and then will cede power to Anwar Ibrahim. Mr Anwar, who was also once Mr Mahathir’s protege, is currently in jail serving a second sentence for sodomy.

Mr Mahathir and Anwar fell out publicly in 1999 and Mr Mahathir was responsible for jailing Mr Anwar, but the pair put aside their differences in their united desire to take down Mr Najib.

The plan now is for Mr Mahathir to have Mr Anwar pardoned so he can take office. “He’ll be released in June,” said Mr Mahathir. “Once he’s pardoned, he’s eligible to be PM again.” Mr Mahathir also announced after his victory that he would appoint Wan Azizah,Mr Anwar’s wife, as his deputy prime minister.

The police have warned people against gathering in the streets to celebrate in case of rioting; however, a large group gathered outside the Pakatan Harapan headquarters in Petaling Jaya to cheer and wave flags.

For Dr Mohan Mahatheva, who was in the crowd, “tonight this is true freedom for Malaysia. We freed ourselves from colonialism, now we have freed ourselves from kleptocracy”, he said. “At least I know my children will live in a truly independent Malaysia.” – Guardian
The opposition Pakatan Harapan has obtained a majority in the Parliament, defeating the incumbent Barisan Nasional government led by Najib Razak. This marks the first ever change of government in Malaysia's 61-year history.