Malaysia's king, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, has told members of parliament to work for the national good and not their own political ends.

The king made the call as he officially opened the first parliament session since general elections in March.

He says he hopes the elected representatives will carry out their tasks with dedication, sincerity and honesty.

The new parliament looks markedly different after the elections, with the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition still holding a majority but no longer enjoying two-thirds of seats required to make constitutional changes.

The coalition has ruled Malaysia for more than half a century since the former colony gained independence from Britain in 1957, but the March results were its worst poll showing in 39 years.

On the economic front, the king has urged the government to continue to carry out infrastructure development projects to ensure stable growth.

A large number of opposition politicians, made up of bloggers and social activists, were sworn in to the parliament Monday after the landmark polls, with a total of 82 opposition MPs among the 222 members of parliament.

malaysia, government and politics

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