Malaysia’s ruling National Front coalition won the weekend’s election, extending its 56-year hold on power, but with fewer seats than in 2008, officials said on Monday.

The National Front won 133 parliamentary seats, seven fewer than previously, while the opposition People’s Alliance won 89 seats, the final tally by the elections commission showed.

Prime Minister Najib Razak hailed the result, and called for “national reconciliation” after campaigns marred by political violence.

“We are looking forward to reject political and racial extremism, and work towards a more moderate and accommodating environment.” A source within the National Front said Najib could be facing challenges within the party after failing to win more decisively.

“Even before the elections there were already rumblings within the UMNO about Najib being too liberal,” the source said.

The UMNO, or United Malay National Organization, is the leading party within the National Front alliance.

“He has to consolidate his base within UMNO immediately, otherwise he might go the way of Pak Lah,” the source added, referring to former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Badawi was ousted in 2009 and replaced by Najib after the 2008 elections, which saw the ruling coalition’s number of seats drop below the two-thirds majority for the first time, from 198 to 140.

Najib blamed Sunday’s poor result on negative “racial” sentiments, especially from the ethnic Chinese, who make up a third of the population.

“I expected it but I did not expect it to this extent,” he said.

“None of us expected it to this extent.” Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the government of cheating his People’s Alliance of victory, and vowed to contest the results.

“We want the elections commission to explain the irregularities,” he told reporters. “We want the elections commission to resolve the disputed seats.” A survey a week earlier put the opposition 1 percentage point in the lead. Ibrahim had said a high turnout would work in their favour.

Turnout in the predominantly Muslim South-East Asian country reached 80 per cent in Sunday’s election, the highest in its electoral history, Deputy Elections Commissioner Omar Ahmad said.

Malaysia has been governed by the National Front since it gained independence in 1957.

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