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Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday made a last-ditch appeal to minority communities to vote for the BN partners, the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress.
'I do not want to form a government that is made up of only one race,' he said in Penang.
His call - some say veiled threat - came in the wake of strong anti-BN sentiment among the minority communities, and the prediction that the opposition parties would make a major dent in the BN's current record 91 per cent majority of Parliament seats.
The campaigning that ended at midnight after 13 days has seen record crowds at opposition rallies, especially in Penang where more than 25,000 people attended two Democratic Action Party events. Predominantly Chinese Penang is one of the most closely-fought battlegrounds.
Analysts have predicted that the election will be polarising, with minorities voting opposition, while the majority Malay vote will largely stay at status quo.
This has been borne out by independent surveys. Mr Ibrahim Suffian, of the pollster Merdeka Centre, noted that the BN campaign did nothing to raise the low level of support among Indians and Chinese.
The Indian vote - traditionally estimated by political parties at a high 80 per cent for the BN - plunged after the government failed to address their complaints of marginalisation. Their anger spilled into a street protest last November.
Mr Ibrahim said the latest numbers suggested that up to 60 per cent could now vote opposition, while the Chinese support also remained low.
According to Mr Ong Kian Ming, an analyst of electoral politics, a 40 per cent swing of the Indian vote could do the BN serious damage, if the Chinese support also falls by 10 to 15 per cent as anticipated.
Statistical analysis shows that this could give the opposition as many as 65 seats, from their current 20 seats.
They, however, need 75 seats to break the BN's two-thirds majority - a psychological marker, as this is the minimum number of parliamentary votes needed to amend the Constitution. The last time it was lost was in 1969.
The racially-mixed nature of most seats, and the combined strength of the 'safe' states of Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Malacca make up the BN's strong safety net.
However, the mood to the north of Negri Sembilan, especially in the urban areas, is less pro-BN. Anger over rising costs has not dissipated despite the government's media blitz trying to counter it.
Race relations remain a source of anger over the more aggressive push for Malay privileges, as well as Islamisation, that has encroached on minority rights.
Further, the three main opposition parties - Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Democratic Action Party - have been fairly united this time and, on some occasions, have also campaigned for each other.
The close battles to watch are Penang, where the outcome is uncertain, and Kelantan - the only opposition-held state - which the BN is trying to regain after three terms under PAS.
A serious reduction in BN's majority overall would be seen as a poor reflection on PM Abdullah's record, with recriminations set to follow.
