Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has dissolved parliament, paving the way for snap elections which are now likely to be held in early March.
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Speaker: Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia.
Voting must take place within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament, and a date will be set in the coming days by the Malaysian Election Commission.
Mr Badawi has appealed for calm during the short campaign. And he told reporters his Barisan Nasional coalition is unlikely to see a repeat of its 2004 landslide victory, with its support dwindling – particularly among ethnic Indian Malaysians, who’ve staged a series of protests in recent months over allegations of discrimination.
The Prime Minister’s critics believe the vote will be timed to ensure that former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, won’t be able to contest the ballot.
Dr Anwar is banned from politics until April, as a result of a corruption conviction 9 years ago.
He is currently in Hong Kong, from where he spoke to our reporter Adam Connors.
