Malaysia Islamist party claims poll win in 3 states

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Permatang Pauh in the northern Malaysian state of Penang March 8, 2008. .

KOTA BAHRU, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition Islamist party, Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), claimed an unprecedented victory in three states at general elections on Saturday as the ruling coalition's vote collapsed.

PAS vice-president Husam Musa told reporters the party had won majorities in the state assemblies of the northern states of Kelantan, Perak and Kedah, all of them home to Muslim majorities.

"I believe we have won Perak by two seats and we have won Kedah by 20 to 16 seats provisionally," Husam said.

Another opposition party, the Democratic Action Party, won the northwestern state of Penang, Malaysia's industrial heartland, while opposition parties also held out hopes of winning a fifth state, central Selangor.

Official results from these states had yet to be released.

(Writing by Mark Bendeich, editing by Bill Tarrant)

((clarence.fernandez@reuters.com; +603 2275 6840; Reuters Messaging: clarence.fernandez.reuters.com.net;