KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia held its general election on Wednesday with early tally showing a tight race between the ruling Barisan National (BN) coalition and the opposition Pakatan Harapan.

The official result released by the election commission covered less than 22 seats of the 222 seats in the lower house of the parliament, but unofficial tally by local media put the two camps in very close race.

BN, or National Front, led by incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak, is facing the Pakatan Harapan, or the Alliance of Hope, headed by 92-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who eyes to break the uninterrupted rule by the ruling coalition in the country since its independence in 1957.

A simple majority of 112 seats of the 222 seats will generate a winner.