REPEAT-Malaysia's Anwar set to win poll after gruelling fight

(Repeats item unchanged from Sunday)

By Jalil Hamid

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim is expected to earn a seat in parliament at a by-election this week, but it is far from clear that he can fulfil his dream of throwing out the government and becoming prime minister himself.

Even if Anwar overcomes what his party says is one of the dirtiest and most racist election campaigns in years, analysts say he could struggle to woo enough defectors to unseat the ruling coalition that has ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Anwar has promised to bring widespread reforms, including in judiciary and governance, and take urgent measures to boost the economy and shield the ordinary people from rising prices.

"The election results will affect his momentum, whether he can move forward or not," said Bridget Welsh, an expert on Malaysian politics at Johns Hopkins University.

"It is pivotal he has to be in the parliament because it will change the dynamics. A victory will be a step in the process."

Government leaders played down the prospects, saying that there were no immediate signs that any of their 140 lawmakers would jump ship to Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

He needs a sizeable 30 defectors to unseat the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, a level many say a near impossible despite cracks within the 14-party coalition following a March general elections.