THIS SOUNDS LIKE GOOD NEWS:

MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday secured a stunning personal triumph, reversed a so-called green tide of Islamic fundamentalism, and energised his anti-corruption and corporate transparency drive. . . .

Analysts noted some clear trends: the Front has decimated the Islamic clerics of PAS in their own backyard; captured the fortress seat of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in Kota Melaka for the first time in 35 years, and crushed Parti Keadilan Nasional – Anwar’s political vehicle.

There’s a Wall Street Journal story sounding a similar theme, but it’s subscription-only.