Malaysian ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN) has won 31 parliamentary seats by 9:30 pm local time (13:30 GMT) in the general election as counting of votes continues.  

The BN, also the National Front, won 17 seats in state assemblies nationwide.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP), major opposition party in the country, won one seat in the parliament.

The largest opposition Islamic Party (PAS) only won one state assembly seat so far.

A total of 7,300 polling stations opened simultaneously nationwide at 8 am local time on Sunday.

A total of 10.28 million people among Malaysia's 23-million population are eligible to vote in the country's 11th general election.

And a total of 202 parliamentary seats and 493 state seats were up for grabs, mostly in one-on-one contests between ruling National Front and the main opposition parties -- the PAS, DAP and the National Justice Party (Keadilan).

The ruling coalition began with a rousing start on the nomination day which is March 13, winning 14 parliamentary seats and seven state seats uncontested.

It garnered three more parliamentary seats and four state seats when opposing candidates backed out within the subsequent three-day cooling period.

Meanwhile, PAS also captured a state seat in Johor State on nomination day uncontested.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2004)