Malaysian media urge reforms after poll setbacks

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's pro-government newspapers urged the ruling coalition on Sunday to ensure better job and education opportunities in the multi-racial nation after it suffered its biggest electoral defeat.

In a surprise election upset on Saturday, the opposition won in five states, trouncing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition.

An opposition alliance also denied Barisan its crucial two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since 1969.

"Political tsunami," read the headline in the top-selling Sunday Star newspaper. "Winds of change sweep Malaysia," another headline said.

The government should ensure greater job and educational opportunities, the New Sunday Times said.

Minority Chinese and Indians had complained that the government, dominated by majority Malays, denied them equal job, education and economic opportunities. In November, 10,000 people of Indian origin staged a street protest to air their grievances.

Despite being government-friendly, mainstream newspapers did not hide their criticism of the coalition following its worst-ever showing.

But they stopped short of asking Abdullah, who led Barisan to a record victory just four years ago, to step down.

Abdullah told a news conference after the results that no one was pressuring him to resign.

"We suffered a lot of losses tonight. But we are going to fight on," one newspaper quoted him as saying. "We are not going to quit."

The New Sunday Times, a paper controlled by his own political party, said the government must listen to the voice of the people.

"Barisan will obviously be in a serious postmortem from today," it said in an editorial.

"It is imperative for the incoming government to heed the message of the polls and work towards the changes desired by voters," it added. "The electorate has sent the message."

(Reporting by Jalil Hamid; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani