Malaysia's Anwar set to win poll after gruelling fight

---

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Reuters): Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim is expected to earn a seat in parliament at a by-election this week, but it is far from clear that he can fulfill his dream of throwing out the government and becoming prime minister himself.

Even if Anwar overcomes what his party says is one of the dirtiest and most racist election campaigns in years, analysts say he could struggle to woo enough defectors to unseat the ruling coalition that has ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Anwar has promised to bring widespread reforms, including in judiciary and governance, and take urgent measures to boost the economy and shield the ordinary people from rising prices.

"The election results will affect his momentum, whether he can move forward or not," said Bridget Welsh, an expert on Malaysian politics at Johns Hopkins University.