BN now mulls snap polls in Q2 2011
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is considering snap polls in the second quarter of 2011, contrary to speculation that the 13th general election could be held during the March school holidays.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Razak met with BN component leaders in parliament on December 16 to discuss possible dates in hold the next general election.
It is learnt that the results of the coming Tenang state by-election in the Umno’s Johor political fortress next January 30 could hold a bearing on the date for the polls. The seat fell vacant when state assemblyman Datuk Sulaiman Taha died on December 17, a day after the top-level BN meeting.
“MCA president (Datuk Seri) Chua Soi Lek and MIC president (Datuk G.) Palanivel were present together with other component party leaders and they discussed holding the election either in April or June,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.
The leaders met on the same day that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and three PKR lawmakers were suspended for six months from parliament.
Anwar received the boot for claiming earlier this year that Najib’s public relations consultants APCO Worldwide had been behind both the 1 Malaysia and One Israel concepts. Najib has denied the claims.
While lawmakers R. Sivarasa, Azmin Ali and Karpal Singh were suspended for contempt for revealing and discussing the proceedings of the Rights and Privileges Committee on Anwar’s APCO claims.
Yesterday, Anwar claimed that his comment on APCO was not about questioning who created 1 Malaysia but accountability in choosing the public relations strategist as it involved public funds.
Anwar has used his suspension as campaign fodder in several ceramahs around the country, saying it was related to snap polls that could be held as early as March 2011. Several other opposition leaders have also echoed his prediction.
But Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad hinted last week that the election will be held in the second quarter and said that Najib wanted to see more results from the policies that he had introduced before calling for an election.
