KUALA LUMPUR: Polls opened Saturday in Malaysia's resource rich Sarawak state as voters began choosing their candidates in what is regarded an electoral test of popularity for Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Election authorities said voting began as scheduled in the rugged state on the island of Borneo at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) and closes at 5:00 pm. Almost one million people are eligible to vote.
Analysts are predicting a voter turnout of at least 68 percent, with the fine and sunny weather expected to hold out.
Najib is attempting to woo Sarawak's voters following unprecedented gains made by the opposition at the national level in 2008 in which it won a third of parliamentary seats.
Those results forced Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.
Political analysts say a clear victory in the Sarawak state assembly contest for Najib could lead to snap national polls being called even though they do not need to be held until mid-2013.
Najib's foes are aiming for a repeat in Sarawak by denying the government a crucial two-thirds majority that effectively allows the Barisan Nasional (BN) to pass legislation without any obstruction.
The BN held 63 of the 71 seats in the Sarawak state assembly before it was dissolved in March, paving the way for this weekend's by-election.
Sarawak is endowed with oil, gas and timber but its people, including tribal communities, are among the poorest in the country and many do not have access to basic infrastructure such as piped water, electricity and healthcare.
Jeniri Amir, a political analyst at University Malaysia Sarawak, told AFP that the BN will retain its two-thirds majority but probably lose about 15 to 22 seats.
"Voters are unhappy with Sarawak's 74-year-old chief minister Taib Mahmud," he said. Taib has been in power for 30 years and is seen as a controversial symbol of BN dominance.
Urban voters and rural natives "affected by Taib's land grab" will vote for the opposition, he said. Taib has denied allegations of large-scale corruption involving his family and political allies.
The alleged maltreatment of tribal communities and the exploitation of Sarawak's natural resources during Taib's rule have also been emotive issues in the campaign.
"If BN loses 15 to 22 seats, I think Najib will be upset. If the opposition secures big gains it will convince Najib to push the general elections to next year," he said.
The opposition led by Anwar Ibrahim has campaigned intensely in the past 10 days in a bid to win at least 24 seats to deny BN a two-thirds majority. But he has expressed concerns over vote-buying and rigging.
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