Malaysia opposition claims poll win in 5 states

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1 of 3. A woman carries a campaign card for Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional party as she waits to cast her ballot at a polling center during elections in Kuala Lumpur, March 8, 2008. Malaysians began voting in a general election on Saturday, with the ruling coalition seen as certain to retain power but the prime minister's leadership hanging in the balance.

Credit: Reuters/Beawiharta

KUALA LUMPUR | Sat Mar 8, 2008 6:23pm GMT

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition has won unprecedented control of five of Malaysia's 13 states in general elections held on Saturday, opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim said as counting continued on Sunday morning.

"Tomorrow we will start building a brighter future...This is a new dawn for Malaysia," Anwar, de facto leader of opposition party Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party), told reporters.

Keadilan and its opposition allies, the ethnic Chinese-backed Democratic Action Party and the main Islamist party, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, had won the northern states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Perak and central Selangor state, Anwar said.

(Writing by Mark Bendeich, editing by Bill Tarrant)

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