Barisan Nasional has won 14 parliamentary seats and five state seats unopposed when nominations closed at 1pm today.

The tally gives the ruling coalition a resounding start to the March 21 polls - in the 1999 general elections BN won only one parliamentary seat and one state seat uncontested on nomination day.

Meanwhile, the opposition PAS has bagged one state seat - its first seat in Johor - when its BN opponent was disqualified by the returning officer.

Walkover for Taib Mahmud

The biggest number of unopposed seats are in Sarawak and Sabah.

Sarawak Chief Minister and state BN chief Abdul Taib Mahmud, 67, and five of his colleagues were returned unopposed.

Taib, now in his seventh term as MP for Kota Samarahan near Kuching, was the sole candidate who filed his nomination paper in Kota Samarahan, about 45km from Kuching city, this morning.

Rohani Abdul Karim, 49, the Rural Development Ministry parliamentary secretary and previously the member of parliament for Santubong, was returned unopposed in her new constituency of Batang Lupar which she swapped with Wan Jundaidi Tuanku Jafaar who has moved to Santubong.

The other BN candidates returned unopposed are incumbent Henry Sum Agong (Bukit Mas), incumbent Alex Linggi (Kapit) incumbent Chin Fah Kui (Miri) and new face Wahab Dolah (Kuala Rajang).

Four are from Taib's Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), which has fielded 11 out of the 28 candidates in the parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Chin is from ruling BN coalition member, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP).

Sarawak is the only state not holding its state legislative assembly election which are not due till 2006.

Sabah: BN wins five

In Sabah, BN has won five parliamentary seat unopposed - Beaufort, Sipitang, Papar, Kinabatangan and Beluran.

Meanwhile, the ruling coalition bagged the Pengerang parliamentary seat in Johor - contested by Puteri Umno chief Azalina Othman - bringing the total tally of seats won by BN to 14.

In addition, BN has won five state seats uncontested - Pokok Assam (Perak), Penawar (Johor) and Subang Jaya (Selangor), and two in Sabah - Tanjong Papat and Melalap.