With Malaysia's opposition pact in the ascendancy after stunning gains in a general election last month, some are wondering how different their economic policies are likely to be if they do wrest

power, as many expect them to do, eventually.

The Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance or PR), made up of the multi-ethnic PKR, PAS and DAP now has 82 seats in the 222-seat Parliament. It is now promoting a new needs-based Malaysian Economic Agenda to replace race-based affirmative action principles inherited from the New Economic Policy.

The alliance has control of five states in the peninsula which account for about 56 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product. They include three of the most industrialised states in the country - Selangor, Penang and Perak - and two among the poorest, Kelantan and Kedah.