More than 270,000 police and military personnel and their spouses were registered for the early voting on Saturday. There are three political coalitions joining this competitive election campaign.
Barisan Nasional, or the National Front, a multi-party coalition led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), has been in power since Malaysia's independence in 1957. The second is Malaysia's opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat led by 92-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The third political party to join this election campaign is the Malaysian Islamic Party or PAS. The PAS consists of independent candidates, which is considered as a factor that dilutes the vote, taking away the opportunity of the two other party coalitions.
The 14th Malaysian general election is coming close. It is considered one of the most unpredictable and competitive general elections in the history of the nation.
