BN gets two-thirds majority mandate (HL)

THE Barisan Nasional (BN) swept to victory in the 10th general elections this morning with more than the targeted two-thirds majority in Parliament. Along the way the 14-member coalition claimed the scalp of Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang but lost another state to Pas in the state elections. BN secured the two-thirds majority of 129 seats at 2.45am, and went on to post a final tally of 141 seats with 44 seats going to the Opposition. DAP suffered heavy blows with its stalwarts, secretary-general Lim, a 30-year member of Parliament, losing both the state and parliamentary contests, as did its vice chairman Karpal Singh. Speaking at a packed press conference at the Putra World Trade Centre…