Malaysia PM dissolves Parliament to hold elections

Malaysia's prime minister has dissolved Parliament to call for national elections expected later this month.

The polls will be fiercely contested between Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling National Front coalition and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance.

Najib announced in a nationally televised address Wednesday that he has obtained royal consent from Malaysia's constitutional monarch to dissolve Parliament immediately.

The Election Commission is expected to meet within a week to determine a polling date. Voting must be held within two months but is widely expected by the end of April.