A national election is likely to be held after Malaysia’s prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak tables the country’s 2012 budget some time during the third quarter of this year.In an interview, Najib said a good showing in a forthcoming election in the politically important state Sarawak (Malaysian's Borneo) would help assess the public mood and perhaps provide a pointer towards calling an early general election before one is due in 2013. The National Front (BN) coalition holds 63 of 71 state legislature seats.
Najib, whose BN suffered record losses to the opposition in 2008, has pledged to restore investor confidence in Malaysia by pursuing reforms, including introducing the twice-delayed tax.He said, he believed the GST aimed at widening Malaysia’s narrow tax base, could be introduced “slightly later” than this year, but no time frame had been established.But no election mandate was required, he said, before proceeding with the tax, twice put off to ensure broader public acceptance.
Referring to the General Election, Najib said It’s a question of the assessment on the ground, how people are feeling towards the government, whether BN can have a feel-good factor and people have confidence in the government and the position of the opposition.
Najib referred to BN's wins in four out of five recent by-elections against the People’s Alliance opposition led by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is beset by new charges of sodomy that have kept him in court.- Anwar has labeled the charge a repeat of accusations that led to his ouster as deputy prime minister in 1998, and six years in jail.
However some political analyst believe, the 13th General Election will be unlucky for BN. In an article written by a political blogger, DayakBaru or Dr. John Brain, the mood of people in the state of Sarawak had shifted from BN to Opposition.
DayakBaru said for too long has Malaysia suffered under the domination of one party and a race based political system with a government that uses corruption as its lifeblood and racial discrimination as a state policy. It is time for a new dawn for Malaysia, a new government that is inclusive, pluralistic and capable of driving Malaysia to new heights without the baggage of the past.
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