Report: Signs point to Malaysian elections in early March, despite government's troubles

Source : PR Inside
Image : Net


KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia is likely to hold general elections in early March, a news report said Thursday, even though the government's popularity appears under threat because of rising prices and anger among ethnic Indians.

The polls will be held soon enough, latest by the first week of March, The Star newspaper quoted an unidentified senior minister in the ruling coalition as saying. Everybody is ready. If we wait any longer, fatigue will set in, the minister was quoted as saying.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment because of a public holiday.The minister's comments came as no a surprise. Malaysia's 12th general elections, not due until next year, were widely expected to be called in early 2008, although some observers have speculated that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could put the polls off until the middle of the year because of an uncertain public mood.

Abdullah's biggest challenge comes from the minority ethnic Indians who are unhappy with what they call legalized discrimination against them in jobs, education, business and religion. They cite an affirmative action policy for the majority Malay Muslims, ensuring wide privileges in virtually all aspects of life.
In November, about 20,000 Indians, most of whom are Hindus, demonstrated against official discrimination in a rare and open challenge to the government. The government jailed the five top leaders of the group that organized the protest.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is dominated by Abdullah's United Malays National Organization party, representing Malays who form 60 percent of the country's 27 million people. The other main party in the coalition is the Malaysian Chinese Association, which represents the Chinese who constitute 25 percent of the population.

The third coalition partner is the Malaysian Indian Congress, which depends on Indians who form 8 percent of the population, for its votes.Barisan has been in power continuously since independence in 1957, thanks largely to a power-sharing agreement that gives political parties representing the multiethnic country's various races a proportional share of the government. It is expected to return to power easily.

Malaysians of all races are also concerned about rising prices and crime.
The number of violent crime cases went up from 31,408 in 2006 to 35,158 in 2007, according to official statistics released Wednesday. The number of property crimes such as thefts and burglaries jumped from 196,760 to 209,559 in the same period, the government said.

Still, Abdullah likely wants to get the elections over with before announcing more price hikes, especially for fuel, later this year. The Star quoted Muhammad Muhammad Taib, the United Malays National Organization's information chief, as saying the party was concentrating on preparing for the election.

We have always been in gear, now we have gone into overdrive, he said.