Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak says he has dissolved parliament, paving the way for a long-anticipated general election within weeks.

Mr Najib, whose ruling coalition faces a resurgent opposition challenging its 56-year rule, made the announcement in a televised address on Wednesday.

"The king has accepted my request to dissolve parliament effective April 3," Mr Najib said from the administrative capital Putrajaya.

"This dissolution will pave the way for the 13th general election."

The Election Commission is expected to meet shortly to decide on a date for the poll.

The Barisan Nasional coalition, dominated by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time in 2008 elections.

Saifuddin Abdullah sits on UMNO's Supreme Council and is Deputy Minister for Higher Education in Malaysia's caretaker government.

He has told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific he is optimistic about the elections but understands his party faces an increasingly sophisticated and discerning electorate.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 6 minutes 35 seconds 6 m Liew Chin Tong speaks to Asia Pacific ( Asia Pacific ) Download 3 MB

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 6 minutes 42 seconds 6 m Dato Saifuddin Abdullah speaks to Asia Pacific ( Asia Pacific ) Download 3.1 MB

"We are now facing a different kind of electorate, the political landscape has changed quite a bit, especially in the last 10 years or so," he said.

Mr Saifuddin says a growing number of voters are concerned about the "politics of democracy", including issues of corruption, wealth distribution and the country's adherence to human rights standards.

"We are not living in denial, we have taken it head on," he said. "We accept the fact that corruption is a major issue and (it) is one of the national key result areas under the government transformation program."

Mr Najib's Barisan Nasional coalition faces a confident three-party opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat, led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The Democratic Action Party is part of this alliance and Liew Chin Tong, the party's political education director, says democratisation and economic equality top their agenda.

"This election is not just for a new government but it's also to democratise the government," he said.

"There is a need for us to create a society that is not for the cronies only but gives opportunity to everyone, economic opportunity to everyone."

Mr Najib had been expected to call the election as early as 2011, but has delayed holding the polls as he seeks to shore up his support and convince Malaysians his economic and political reforms are bearing fruit.

The 59-year-old is aiming to push the developing Southeast Asian nation into high-income status by 2020 through an ambitious $444 billion economic transformation program.

Sorry, this video has expired Malaysia PM dissolves Parliament to begin election ( Catherine McGrath )

ABC/Reuters