PM hints GE14 before haj season
Najib tells 1,200 they’ll perform pilgrimage after two ‘raya’ concluded
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has been keeping mum about when the 14th General Election will be called, caught everyone’s attention when he hinted that the polls are likely to be held before the July haj season.
He told a crowd of 1,200 imams, village heads and community leaders who will leave to perform the haj on July 14, that their trip would be after the two “raya” had been concluded.
“By the time you all leave, it will be after Hari Raya (Aidilfitri) and also after the other raya,” he said in an obvious reference to pilihanraya which is the general election in Malay.
“But we are doing this function early. God willing, if there is no change in the government, everything will go as planned,” he said when presenting offer letters to perform the haj, which is sponsored by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Last week, Najib said he was waiting for a “spark of inspiration” to call for the general election.
The Prime Minister announced that haj fees for this year would remain at RM9,980 even though the cost had gone up by 15% to RM22,450.
“What Tabung Haji is subsidising is more than the actual amount to be paid by a pilgrim. We are doing this because we don’t want to burden the people.
“We know that it is not easy for some to save money to perform the haj, and this is where the Government steps in,” he said.
Najib said despite the Government’s many efforts and initiatives to bring progress to the country, there were still people who continued to discredit the country and were even embarrassed to call themselves Malaysian.
While he did not mention names, it was clear he was referring to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
“That’s all right. We let him be. All I ask of you is to pray for Malaysia, for its peace, harmony, for its progress and prosperity,” he said,
Najib said that despite criticism against 1MDB, the company had contributed to the people in many ways which they were unaware of, including financing haj pilgrims for the past seven years.
“It has done its fair share of good but 1MDB has been slandered and condemned so much that people don’t see the good that it does. Whatever the mistakes and weaknesses of the company, it will be rectified,” he said.