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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has
started a new round of nationwide tours, according to reports
Sunday, in the clearest indication yet that national elections are
imminent.
Abdullah, who has been tight-lipped on the
polling date, has had his hands full with unprecedented street
protests, a slowing economy and public anger over high fuel and food
prices.
However, the New Straits Times newspaper in a
front page spread said members of his Barisan Nasional (BN)
race-based coalition government believe the election could probably
be held in March.
It cited Abdullah’s tours, along with an
upcoming meeting on Monday of all BN leaders and another on Tuesday
with heads of his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) Party,
as evidence of election preparations.
“Given that the economy is on track and
commodity prices are high, benefiting a large portion of the BN-supportive
electorate, senior BN members feel the time is right to go to the
polls,” it reported, without naming the officials.
However, Abdullah’s government is still
coming to terms with street rallies, which kicked off in November
with a 30,000-strong protest calling for electoral reform, followed
by a gathering of 8,000 people alleging discrimination against
ethnic Indian Malaysians.
-- AFP
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