Published January 28, 2009

Barisan lawmaker in Perak defects to Opposition

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(KUALA LUMPUR) A Malaysian state lawmaker has quit the ruling coalition, becoming the first elected representative to cross over to the Opposition nearly a year after landmark national polls.

The defection of Nasarudin Hashim is a significant morale booster for Anwar Ibrahim's three-party opposition alliance, which failed in a bid last year to oust the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition through parliamentary defections after March general election.

Mr Anwar hailed Mr Nasarudin's switch late on Sunday, calling it the 'beginning of a new wave' in his quest to topple the Barisan Nasional that has governed Malaysia for nearly 52 years.

Mr Nasarudin, a state legislature member in Perak state, said he was switching sides because he felt that public support had been moving away from the ruling coalition after the March election when the Barisan Nasional lost control of five of Malaysia's 13 states.

'I believe that (the Opposition) can establish a stronger coalition of component parties for the interest of the general public,' Mr Nasarudin said in a statement.

The defection does not alter the balance of power in the federal Parliament, where the Barisan Nasional has 137 of the Lower House's 222 seats - less than a two-thirds majority following the coalition's worst electoral performance ever in last year's national polls.

Mr Nasarudin's defection is the second setback this month for Malaysia's prime minister-in-waiting, Najib Razak, after the Barisan Nasional recently lost a key by-election to Mr Anwar's alliance for a parliamentary seat in Kuala Terengganu constituency.

Mr Najib is to take over from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in late March, but political analysts say he faces an uphill struggle to strengthen support for the Barisan Nasional amid a faltering economy and widespread public perceptions of government corruption. -- AP