Opposition cries foul over uneven playing field

The road to Malaysia's May 9 general election is getting thornier for opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad: officials are cutting out or painting over his image on some billboards and police are investigating him for spreading "fake news".

Mahathir, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister, and other opposition leaders say the moves are intended to further help the prospects of Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose ruling coalition already enjoys a near-monopoly of coverage in newspapers and on television and radio.

"I have never seen an election like this. It hasn't yet begun but efforts to cheat are already underway," Mahathir, 92, said at an election rally on Thursday. "You can see that this time Najib is so afraid, he is afraid of even a picture."

Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance dismissed the allegations.

BN, which analysts say is facing its toughest election since it took power when Malaysia became independent six decades ago, has previously said the opposition claims are an effort to win sympathy votes and smear the reputation of the Election Commission.

A recent report by political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said that although support for the opposition appeared to be gaining momentum, it had only a 15 percent chance of winning.

In April, Najib's government passed an anti-fake news law seen by critics as a move to suppress dissent and free speech.

Within four weeks of the introduction of the law, Mahathir was under investigation for spreading "fake news" over claims his plane was sabotaged in the run up to elections.