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KUALA LUMPUR-[[[[[[Malaysians awoke on Sunday to the biggest sea-change in politics in almost 40 years, with opposition Islamists and reformists winning control of five states and giving the government a humiliating wake-up call.Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's multi-racial National Front coalition won just a simple majority in parliament, and his future as leader is in doubt after he watched a record majority collapse to the weakest level ever.His predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, urged him to quit."He should accept responsibility," said Mahathir who now says he made a mistake in picking Abdullah(picture left) as his successor and that the current deputy premier, Najib Razak, should have taken over.The streets were unusually quiet on Sunday, with many older Malaysians fearful of trouble.The last time the coalition suffered a heavy setback, in 1969, race riots erupted.Barisan has effectively ruled since independence from Britain in 1957.]]]]]]"{{{{{{I am shocked. It feels Malaysia is a whole new country. It feels like it has been reborn," Daniel Sia, a 27-year-old civil engineer, said as he did some Sunday shopping in the capital.Lai Yee Fei, 28, who works at a coffee bar beneath Kuala Lumpur's soaring twin towers, said she was glad that Malaysia now had a strong opposition to press the government."It's good to give some pressure for Barisan Nasional," she said. "If the opposition parties can stand up for us, on behalf of us, I think it's good."}}}}}}Abdullah, who only four years ago led the coalition to a record election victory on a wave of hope for change, faced a bleak political future on Sunday, his aides stunned but not willing to concede that he must step down.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
