The Latest: Malaysia's Mahathir confident of election win

ABC News ^ | 3/9/2018 11:50 p.m.

[Zhang Fei]

The Latest on Malaysia's election (all times local):

11:50 p.m.

Malaysia's long-serving former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is confident the alliance of opposition parties he heads has defeated the ruling party in national elections.

The Election Commission's official counts are lagging behind unofficial counts that show the opposition ahead of Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling National Front. Mahathir accused the commission of holding back results. The commission did not respond to phone calls or text messages seeking comment.

Mahathir, 92, told a news conference that the ruling coalition is "left far behind and the likelihood is that they will not be forming the government. This is not fake news."

Incomplete unofficial counts show the opposition with 77 parliamentary seats to the National Front's 57. A simple majority in Malaysia's parliament is 112 seats.

Mahathir urged Najib to accept the outcome of the election.

9:30 p.m.

Unofficial results from Malaysia's general election are showing a swing to the opposition. It remains unclear whether it is significant enough of a shift to end the ruling National Front's 60-year hold on power.

The opposition is gaining ground in the ruling party's eastern stronghold of Sarawak state, and TV networks report that the heads of a Chinese party and an Indian party within the Malay-dominated ruling coalition lost their seats in regions that are also vote banks for it.

The Election Commission has not released final turnout figures more than four hours after voting closed. Its running of the election has been criticized by both opposition and ruling party figures.

5:15 p.m.

Voting is over in Malaysia's closely fought general election but not without opposition complaints that some people were denied a vote.

Election Commission Chairman Mohamad Hashim Abdullah says voters aren't allowed to cast ballots after 5 p.m. even if

[Zhang Fei]

Possible sea change in the Far East, although there's an element of plus ça change here, given that the players are being recycled. Still, it would be something if the opposition won and its 92-year-old party leader became Prime Minister - again. It might just be a Guinness record.

[Lurkinanloomin]

92?

And people make fun of our octogenarian legislators..

[butlerweave]

You do know this guy is a Scumbag

[Zhang Fei]

“You do know this guy is a Scumbag”

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His opponent in the ruling party (which has yet to concede, and might just send in the tanks) is in China’s pocket, big time. So you might say Mahathir is the lesser of two scumbags.