Malaysia will hold its general election on March 8, in which the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is expected to emerge the winner, despite increasing religious and political tensions including massive protests by ethnic Indians alleging marginalisation.

The country's Election Commission today said that nominations would be held on February 24 to elect 222 legislators in Parliament. Abdullah dissolved the Parliament on Wednesday, paving the way for the elections, a year earlier than scheduled.

"Come out and vote, don't sleep. I want to see a free and fair election," Election Commission Chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told reporters.

Over ten million people have so far registered to vote. Malaysia's population of 27 million comprises 60 per cent Muslim Malays, 25 ethnic Chinese mostly, Buddhists or Christians, and 7.8 per cent ethnic Indians who are mostly Hindus from Tamil Nadu.

The March 8 elections will see Abdullah's Barisan Nasional party challenged by three main opposition parties -- the left-leaning Democratic Action Party, the Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia and former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan.

Opposition parties have already attacked the timing of the polls. Ibrahim, who was sacked as deputy premier and jailed in 1998, said the government was attempting to sideline him by holding the ballot a month before he is eligible to run for office.

"Denying me the opportunity to contest demonstrates that the four-year track record of the Abdullah administration has been so banal, disappointing and characterised by failure that it can ill-afford to take any chances by allowing for a truly democratic electoral process," he said in a statement.