Back to polls fever
EVEN as Chinese New Year celebrations are going on, election fever is running high. The Prime Minister has announced RM1.3bil worth of projects for Langkawi while Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is ready to hit the campaign trail after a
PETALING JAYA: Excitement over the 14th General Election did not abate during the Chinese New Year celebrations over the weekend. In fact, it is expected to reach fever pitch by Chap Goh Meh.
The guessing game continues as the top leaders of Barisan Nasional and the Opposition zig-zag across the country campaigning at full tilt.
The announcement to dissolve Parliament is expected to be made anytime now.
Amid talk that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is eyeing the Langkawi parliamentary seat, Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak flew to the island on Friday after attending the MCA and Gerakan Chinese New Year Open House events in Kuala Lumpur earlier that day.
The Prime Minister spent two days in Langkawi meeting the people and announced RM1.3bil worth of new government projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan.
The 93-year-old Dr Mahathir, who has been touring the country in recent months, was hospitalised on Feb 9 for a chest infection.
The Pakatan Harapan chairman was discharged six days later and is expected to resume campaigning soon.
On June 24, Parliament’s fiveyear term expires and an election must be held within 60 days of dissolution.
Upcoming festivals offer clues as to when Malaysia’s 14.8 million voters are likely to cast their ballots.
Chap Goh Meh, which marks the end of the lunar new year celebration, falls on March 2, while the provisional dates for the start of Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri are May 17 and June 15 respectively.
Records show that the average period between dissolution and polling for previous general elections is 29 days.
If the Election Commission (EC) sticks to its past practice of setting polling dates roughly a month after dissolution, two possible scenarios emerge:
> The first and most likely scenario, according to Government sources, is that Parliament will be dissolved sometime between March and mid-April, with polling happening before the start of the fasting month in mid-May.
> A second but less likely possibility is for the election to take place after Hari Raya Aidilfitri. This means that Parliament will only be dissolved sometime between midMay and June 24, with polling in June or July.
If Najib does not seek a dissolution, the 13th Parliament automatically dissolves on June 24 when its five-year term ends. The EC will then have 60 days to hold the general election.
Other factors will also dictate Najib’s decision on the best date to pick for dissolution.
A key consideration will be the EC’s redelineation proposal, which is nearly done.
An EC official said the Commission would decide soon on the dates for its second and final local inquiry to hear objections against the proposal to alter state and parliamentary boundaries in Selangor.
Once the local inquiry is completed, the EC will submit a final report to the Prime Minister for his consideration.
Barisan could then table the proposal in the Dewan Rakyat in a special sitting or at its next meeting, which is scheduled to take place from March 5 to April 5.
If approved by the Dewan Rakyat, the new boundaries will be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for royal assent before they are gazetted.
EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said last month that the new boundaries could be gazetted in just a few days after obtaining royal assent.
With new boundaries for the country’s parliamentary and state seats in place, Najib could then move to dissolve Parliament.