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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Euphoria ends, reality bites Malaysia's opposition By JULIA ZAPPEI,Associated Press Writer - Sunday, December 13 Send IM Story Print KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – After Malaysia's opposition made unprecedented gains in elections last year, its leader boldly claimed he would topple the coalition that has run the country for five decades within months. Today he faces sodomy charges, his People's Alliance is riven by internal feuding and the long-ruling National Front has regained some of its footing. When the three-party opposition gathers for a convention this Saturday, one of its challenges will be to convince the public that the alliance is not falling apart. "It's an uphill climb for the opposition. I think the reality is making itself felt," said Ooi Kee Beng, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore and a close follower of Malaysian politics. "We should have expected that the People's Alliance could not take on the National Front and win that easily." The National Front has enjoyed uninterrupted rule since Malaysia gained independence in 1957. But voters dealt it a setback in March 2008 elections amid charges of corruption, nepotism and public sector inefficiency. The opposition won more than one-third of the seats in Parliament for the first time and took control of five of Malaysia's 13 states. Its success raised speculation that Malaysia's democracy would evolve into a truly competitive one. But a shaken National Front picked a new leader, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has begun to address voter concerns, particularly on race issues, since taking over in April. Meanwhile, the opposition is increasingly plagued by infighting and ideological differences. "I think people are slowly losing hope," said Josh Hong, an online political columnist and activist. "People are beginning to see the opposition may not be really strong and vibrant enough to take over the government. It is always something like one step forward, two steps back." What has changed, according to Hong, is that the National Front can never again take its dominance for granted. "People have begun to have a clearer picture _ at least we should have proper checks and balances," he said. The opposition is being hurt by a loss of focus and lack of a clear strategy, said Ibrahim Suffian, head of the Merdeka Center, an independent research firm. A recent Merdeka poll found that barely one third of Malaysians consider the People's Alliance a viable substitute for the National Front. Nearly half of the 850 respondents were unconvinced of the opposition's ability to rule. The margin of error was 3 percent. The problems stem largely from policy differences among the three parties: the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which caters to the country's Malay Muslim majority; the secular, left-leaning Democratic Action Party, whose members are mostly from the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities; and the multiracial People's Justice Party, which is considered the bridge between the two other partners. In one high-profile dispute, a lawmaker from the Islamic party proposed curtailing the sale of alcohol in parts of Selangor, an opposition-controlled state, sparking outrage from other members of the coalition. In Kedah, another state under opposition rule, officials battled over plans to demolish a pig slaughterhouse. Muslims consider pigs unclean, but the slaughterhouse is a major source of employment for local Chinese. Dzulkifli Ahmad, a senior Islamic party official, blamed overzealous colleagues for creating trouble. Another question mark is the future of the charismatic opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, who is credited with bringing the parties together last year, is scheduled to go on trial in January for allegedly sodomizing a male aide. He says the charges are a government conspiracy to discredit him. He faced similar charges in a late 1990s case that also appeared to many to be politically motivated. Despite the setbacks, the opposition has many staunch supporters who remain patient. "They are just hitting bumps here and there, which is normal," said Ivan Ho, a 48-year-old technology instructor. "So we should not be disillusioned." 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