Coalition Wins Sarawak Election in Malaysia

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Results are out for Malaysia's Sarawak state election on Saturday. The coalition retained a two thirds majority by taking 55 of the 71 seats in the election.

Malaysia's ruling coalition won the Sarawak state election on Saturday, but saw its grip on its bastion state sharply weakened.

The ruling coalition won 55 of 71 seats to retain its two-thirds majority.

[Nadjib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister]:
"I believe Tan Sri (Taib Mahmud) will fulfill his promise because this is a commitment (for the people). But, we'll have to choose the best time to lay out the plans - what is most important for now - and make sure the change will proceed step by step."

The opposition had 15 seats - its best in 24 years - after campaigning on a platform of Christian anger against the government, and frustration over the rule of the state's long-serving chief minister.

Ethnic and religious tensions in the state have spiked in the past year, following a dispute over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians to describe God. It worsened with the government's seizure of 30,000 copies of Malay language Bibles earlier this year, which the authorities are trying to resolve through talks with church groups.

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[tansmshel]

Bn menang Sarawak!