The PAS opposition has conceded defeat in the key state of Terengganu in today's elections, party president Abdul Hadi Awang said.

"We accept the results of the elections and will keep fighting in the name of Islam," he told reporters after unofficial results showed that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling Barisan Nasional had routed the Islamists.

BN has won 28 out of the 32 state seats in Terengganu.

An official with the state government, Ng Chai Hing, said: "It's a total wipeout."

He added that PAS had also lost neighbouring Kelantan, the only other state it holds out of a total of 13.

Celebration in the streets

The election commission had not confirmed the results at the time Abdul Hadi was speaking, but they were widely accepted, with ruling party supporters already celebrating in the streets.

The elections were seen as a referendum on Abdullah, who took over from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad when he retired last October after 22 years in power.

Abdullah made the role of Islam in government a central feature of his campaign, urging support for "modern and progressive" Muslim rule against PAS fundamentalism.

The Islamists made strong gains in the last elections in 1999 against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, led by Abdullah's Umno. - AFP