Campaign of Malaysian election 5th May & eruption of violence

A bomb explosion have been reported in northern Penang state on Tuesday near a political meet of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, causing 35-year-old security worker being injured by flying material.A widespread Malaysian election violence been reported since campaigning for tightly contested 5th May polls got under way at the weekend, police said on Wednesday. Police later found a second bomb in the area and detonated it.
Prime Minister Najib Razak and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the culprits responsible for planting the bombs.
“The timing of the explosion and location of these devices are highly suspicious and are clearly meant to create fear and provoke disorder,” Anwar said in a statement.

A total of 387 incidents were reported in the first three days of the two-week campaign, which kicked off Saturday, and at least 15 people have been arrested over the violence, national police spokesman Ramli Yoosuf told reporters.

"They were in possession of weapons such as machetes and suspected of slashing rival party supporters and criminal intimidation, mostly while putting up flags and banners," Ramli said.

He added that hundreds more incidents had been reported earlier, between the 13^th April dissolution of parliament and the official start to campaigning.

Malaysia is bracing for long-anticipated elections that have raised speculation of the country's first change of regime since independence from Britain in 1957.

The vote pits a coalition, dominated by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) which has ruled Malaysia with a tight grip for 56-years against an upstart opposition promising a more liberalised society.

Ramli said the cases included individuals who attempted to run down rival political supporters in cars, adding that one election operations centre in a northern state was set on fire, but giving no other details. No deaths have yet been reported.