Malaysia gov't loses parliament by-election vote

Malaysia's new prime minister suffered an early blow after just four days in power when the opposition won a tense parliamentary by-election that was billed as a referendum on his premiership.

The opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamist Party (PAS) saw its majority over the National Front government headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak rise to 2,789 votes in Tuesday's poll, according to the country's Election Commission.

That was up from the 1,566 votes with which it won the seat in the 2008 general election.

 TAIPING, Malaysia, April 7 (Reuters)