Malaysia's ruling coalition wins crucial by-election

Malaysia's ruling coalition won a crucial by-election on Wednesday after a closely contested general election in May.

Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman, a 37-year-old civil engineer, retained the Kuala Besut state assembly seat for the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front) in the northern Terengganu state.

He won by a majority of some 2,600 votes in the small fishing town of less than 18,000 legitimate voters, defeating Azlan Yusof of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), according to the election commission.

The by-election result also maintains ruling coalition's slim majority in the state assembly, avoiding a hung parliament scenario with both sides hold the same number of seats.

The state legislature seat of Kuala Besut became vacant after the previous assemblyman A. Rahman Mokhtar passed away on June 26, triggering the first by-election after the May 5 general election.

The ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional retained power in the general election and won in nine of the 12 states contested. However, it failed to regain the two-thirds parliamentary majority it lost in the previous general election in 2008 and even lost in the popular votes.

Barisan's victory was also clouded by the alleged electoral fraud while the election commission was under fierce criticism for the "washable" indelible ink.

The ruling coalition has promised generous fund for public project during the by-election campaign, triggering criticism from pro-election reform group and the opposition.