KEPALA BATAS (Malaysia) - MALAYSIA'S political parties formally started campaigning on Sunday for general elections with fractious opposition groups joining forces in a bid to deprive the ruling coalition of a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Hundreds of political heavy-hitters and first-time aspirants filed their nomination papers to contest 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state legislature seats. The process officially marked the start of a 13-day campaigning period ahead of the March 8 ballot.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was among the first to file his papers for the ruling National Front coalition in his traditional stronghold of Kepala Batas in northern Penang state.

Mr Abdullah urged voters not to be swayed by the opposition, saying 'their obsession is they want to deny the (government) the full support of the people'.

More than 1,000 government loyalists thronged the nomination centre to support Mr Abdullah against a challenger from the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS. The PAS is one of the three main opposition parties who have made a pact to stand just one opposition figure in each seat and avoid three-cornered fights. .

There was heavy security at the nomination centre, with police separating a thousand government supporters from some 500 activists from PAS who shouted the opposition battlecry of 'Reformasi' or 'Reform'.

'Malaysia is rich with resources but the wealth is only serving the needs of the cronies of the National Front. Corruption is rampant. We promise to stamp it out,' said PAS candidate Subri Mat Arshad.

The National Front won 199 of 219 parliamentary seats in 2004, with only 19 seats taken by the opposition, including six by PAS and 12 by the ethnic Chinese-based Democratic Action Party. Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's wife won the lone seat for her People's Justice Party. One seat went to an independent.

This time, the three parties have made a pact to field only one candidate in each constituency to avoid multi-cornered fights, which in the past benefited the National Front.

The strategy is aimed at preventing the National Front from attaining a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which enables the government to change the constitution easily.

The 14-party National Front, which has governed since 1957, has acknowledged it will win fewer seats this time amid public complaints over rising inflation, crime and racial and religious tensions.

But the coalition got an early boost when no opposition candidates came forward to contest at least five parliamentary seats against National Front candidates.

In recent months, several high-profile street protests have raised the political consciousness of Malaysians, awakening more people to ask questions about alleged government corruption and policies that some say are tantamount to racial and religious discrimination.

The National Front has the advantage of being backed by the pro-government mainstream media and is more cohesive and better coordinated than the opposition.

Opposition leaders have long complained that polls are also steered against them through the gerrymandering of constituencies, vote-buying and use of bogus voters. The government has repeatedly denied any irregularities.

A poor performance could undercut Mr Abdullah's popularity as he targets a second five-year term as prime minister after succeeding longtime leader Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.

One of the fiercest electoral contests is in north-eastern Kelantan state, which has been controlled by PAS since 1990, making it the only one of Malaysia's 13 states not run by the National Front.

Several hundred opposition members chanted 'Allahu Akbar', or 'God is great', as PAS' spiritual leader, Mr Nik Aziz Nik Mat, filed his nomination papers at a Kelantan school hall.

'Praise to God, I'm confident,' Mr Nik Aziz, wearing a turban and white robe, told reporters.

Cabinet warning
Veteran politicians who were expected to be ousted in the run-up to the polls have so far retained their positions, but Mr Abdullah hinted in an interview with the New Straits Times that there might be a clean-out after the polls.

'I have made no promises to anyone. I have a free hand (after the election),' he was quoted as saying.

'I did not promise anybody anything; whether a return to the Cabinet or any other post,' he added.

Mr Abdullah has been criticised over his Cabinet, which retained many veteran figures from the former administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and which analysts say has prevented him from carrying out his reform promises.

He swept to power in landslide 2004 elections amid optimism after taking over from Dr Mahathir, but since then has been gained a reputation for being weak and ineffective, and failing to act on key goals like eradicating corruption.

Figures like Mr Samy Vellu, the only ethnic Indian minister in the multi-racial coalition, are contesting the election again despite strong criticism over his handling of recent anti-discrimination protests by Indian activists.

Mr Abdullah defended the old faces in his line-up, saying they were critical to the election campaign, in which the opposition is aiming to deprive the coalition of its two-thirds majority for the first time in history.

'In facing elections, the party must be led by those who have experience because we do not want problems which may affect our chances to crop up due to inexperience,' he told the New Straits Times.

Analysts said Mr Abdullah's popularity, which has already plummeted, would be further damaged if he dashes hopes of rejuvenation in the coalition which has ruled Malaysia since independence a half century ago.

'If things remain as they are with the old guard being retained, then it will be problematic for the future of the party,' said political analyst Tricia Yeoh from the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

'If he wants to talk about change he needs to show it rather than just speak about it,' she said. -- AP, AFP