Malaysian PM Najib dissolves parliament
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters/AFP) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, more than two months before the end of his five-year term, paving the way for a general election.
Najib has been burdened by a multi-billion dollar scandal linked to a state fund and is under pressure to deliver an emphatic win for his ruling coalition as he struggles to appease voters unhappy with rising living costs and an unprecedented challenge by his former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib said he met King Sultan Muhammad V to gain approval for the dissolution.
“The king has recommended for parliament to be dissolved effective Saturday, April 7,” Najib said in a special announcement.
Polling day must be held within 60 days from the dissolution of parliament. The Election Commission is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for the vote.
The coalition has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957 but its support has been dropping in recent years. A scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB that captured global headlines has added to its problems.
Billions of dollars were allegedly looted from the fund in an audacious campaign of fraud and money-laundering which is being investigated in several countries, and it is claimed that large sums ended up the personal bank accounts of Najib.
The leader and the fund deny any wrongdoing.
Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main coalition party, has clung on to power by pushing policies that favour the Muslim Malay majority. It was already struggling after losing the popular vote in the 2013 election for the first time in history.
Voters had become increasingly disillusioned over recurring graft scandals, divisive racial politics in the country which is home to substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, and the rising cost of living.
Despite the problems, the 64-yearleader is tipped to win another five-year term at the head of the coalition after weathering the 1MDB scandal, sacking critics inside government and launching a crackdown that has seen opponents arrested.
Najib has also been helped by an improving economic picture in recent times, and has been seeking to ensure victory by announcing generous handouts to low-income groups, civil servants and farmers.
His government stoked further criticism last week by pushing a controversial redrawing of the electoral map through parliament which critics say will tilt the poll in Najib’s favour. MPs also passed a law banning “fake news” that could see offenders jailed, which some fear could be used to crack down on dissent.