KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), Jan 17: Malaysia’s opposition Islamist party won a fiercely-contested by-election on Saturday in a vote that was cast as a referendum on incoming prime minister Najib Razak.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), part of Anwar Ibrahim’s three-party opposition alliance, won the seat in the Southeast Asian country of 27 million people, by 2,631 votes, overturning a government majority of 628.

The only poll published during the campaign had predicted a narrow PAS victory over the ruling National Front coalition, although it did not specify a margin.—Reuters