Barisan Nasional chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn in for a five-year term today, following the coalition's stunning success in winning the 11 th general election yesterday.

Abdullah, who took over from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad five months ago, took the oath before King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin at the Istana Negara in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

"I have to take a little bit of time (to set up the new cabinet)... I just can't come out with names (of) those who are joining the cabinet so soon," he said in response to a question at a press conference held soon after his victory speech early this morning.

According to national news agency Bernama , he said the new cabinet would consist of young candidates who won in the elections.

Abdullah also said the participation of the younger generation this time around was very encouraging and that they now do not show any lack of interest in politics.

"The important thing is hopefully they will continue to show interest and carry out their responsibility as voters," he said.

'Voters deprived'

Abdullah also questioned the glitches that had prevented hundreds from casting their votes in Selangor yesterday.

"I'm very unhappy. This has deprived some Malaysians their rights. I want to know what has happened," he said, adding that he had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC).

He asked why some registered voters had not been allowed to vote when their names were in the electoral roll, saying that those affected included BN supporters.

Malaysiakini

reported yesterday that there was chaos at several polling stations where voters could not find their names in the EC lists, and that many had been told to go from one location to another.

There were also problems with the computer system, leading to verification being done manually, while allegations were made that EC officers had not been around to deal with the situation.

Victory hailed

The victory for Abdullah was widely welcomed by political and economic analysts, who said it would be good for stability in the region.

"It's an overwhelming endorsement of Abdullah's leadership. It shows that the more extreme Islamic forces have been kept at bay and that the Malays are in favour of a moderate Islam," said Abdul Razak Baginda of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre.

Robert Broadfoot, managing director of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, said the election was a "positive development" in a region where democracy had been shaken by South Korean impeachment proceedings and a disputed vote in Taiwan.

"Asia doesn't have a lot of good news when it comes to the evolution of democracy (at the moment) but Malaysia is a piece of good news," Broadfoot told AFP from his office in Hong Kong.

"If it happens in Indonesia and (other parts of) Southeast Asia, it would be showing that there is an alternative route for Islamic culture that is not threatening and is not one that the world has to fear."

Andrew Tan, a security analyst with the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore, said the Malaysian elections were a test case of whether Islam was compatible with economic progress.

"This was really a battle for hearts and minds and an example to the rest of the world. It was also a test case as to whether Islam is compatible with development and I think (Abdullah) has made a very strong argument that it is," Tan told AFP .

"This is something that could very well be crucial in turning back the tide of fundamentalism, not just in Malaysia but also elsewhere."

Not free and fair

Malaysian opposition parties and a private election watchdog complained, however, that Sunday's vote was not free and fair, with irregularities in the electoral roll keeping thousands of voters from the ballot box.

The Election Commission (EC) was forced to extend voting by two hours in central Selangor state after discrepancies in the rolls saw names of many voters missing from the lists.

It also nullified the vote for a state seat in central Pahang and postponed polling to March 28 after a mix-up of party symbols in the ballot papers.

The Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia, a regional election monitor based in Singapore, said its team of observers received complaints ranging from missing names to claims in one state that the ruling party was busing in voters from other areas.

"We have detected irregularities that have disadvantaged the opposition. The election is not free and fair," said spokesman Gandhi Ambalam.