In Pictures

Malaysia’s election reaches final countdown

Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim make their final push for votes as campaigns head into final days.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim relaxes with his family before the final stretch of the election campaign. He is pictured here with his daughter, Nurul Izzah, her husband and their two children.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Days ahead of polls opening on Sunday May 5, the country’s two leading contenders for power are slugging it out in a final push for votes.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is attempting to fight off a challenge from long-term opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as the race tightens in its final hours.

Meeting hundreds of voters, each candidate has been trying to overcome what has been termed a “culture of scandal” that has permeated domestic politics.

Najib has vehemently denied links to the 2006 murder of a Mongolian translator, while Anwar has had to make a comeback from a six-year spell in prison for “sodomy”, after being accused of having a homosexual affair.

But as the campaigns draw to a close, each man has focused on energising their core supporters and encouraging voters to turn out at the ballots on Sunday.