KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian bank economist who is a member of an opposition party said yesterday he had been suspended after telling a forum that a narrow opposition win in hotly-anticipated elections was "quite likely".

Mr Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin said "political pressure" on his Bank Islam employers was likely the spark for his immediate suspension for an "alleged serious act of misconduct".

He spoke last Thursday at a business forum in Singapore on the possible outcome of polls in Malaysia.

"I'm shocked. Clearly, I'm a political victim," Mr Azrul, a member of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said.