Malaysia begins election campaign

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kicked off his election campaign Sunday with a warning that his cabinet ministers are not assured of jobs in a new administration.

Abdullah formally submitted his nomination for the March 8 polls in the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat on the island state of Penang, surrounded by a sea of supporters from the governing National Front.

There was heavy security at the nomination center, with police separating a thousand government supporters from some 500 activists from the Islamic party PAS, who shouted the opposition battle cry of 'Reformasi', or 'Reform.'

Veteran politicians who were expected to be ousted in the run-up to the polls have so far retained their positions, but Abdullah hinted in an interview with the New Straits Times that there might be a clean-out after the polls.

Political candidates on Sunday kicked off their campaigns for Malaysian's 12th general elections scheduled for March 8.


Hundreds of candidates submitted their nomination papers to contest 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state legislature seats.


The National Front coalition, consisting of 14 political parties, has won every general election since the country gained independence from the British in 1957.


In the 2004 elections, the coalition won a landslide victory by taking 199 of 219 parliamentary seats.


Political analysts predict that the National Front is likely to win a new majority, but the declining popularity of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government is expected to cost the ruling coalition several of its seats to opposition parties.