KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, paving the way for a general election showdown with his old mentor and the country’s most seasoned campaigner, Mahathir Mohamad.
A woman passes a live telecast of Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak addressing the nation on the dissolution of Parliament at a electronics shop in Port Klang, Malaysia April 6, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin
Najib is under pressure to deliver an emphatic win for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, as he struggles to appease Malaysians unhappy with rising costs and a multi-billion dollar scandal at a state fund he founded.
The 64-year-old leader is expected to retain power due to a rift in opposition ranks between Mahathir’s bloc and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.
But analysts predict a tough fight from Mahathir, who transformed Malaysia into an industrial nation from a rural backwater during his iron-fisted 22-year rule until 2003.
The opposition says the election will be unfair.
In recent days, parliament approved plans to redraw electoral boundaries and passed a contentious anti-fake news bill, changes critics say will favour Najib.
The government rejects the accusations.
“If victory is given to BN, we promise to do our best, to carry out a bigger, more inclusive and more comprehensive transformation of the country,” Najib said in an announcement on state television, adding that the dissolution of parliament would be effective from Saturday.
Polling must be held within 60 days of a dissolution. The Election Commission is expected to meet in days to announce a date for the approximately 14 million eligible voters to cast their ballots.
High living costs and corruption are issues that have resonated with voters but overall, Najib’s standing is likely to be bolstered by a robust economy.
“We don’t choose parties, we choose leaders,” said 27-year-old Amir Mukris Bakeri, a travel agent in Kuala Lumpur.
“If the leader can provide for people’s welfare, that’s who we’d pick.”
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this still image taken from social media video, April 6, 2018. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia /via REUTERS
Growth has been buoyed by a recovery in global crude oil prices and increased trade and infrastructure investment from Malaysia’s largest trading partner, China.
‘TRICKS’
Political apathy, however, is pervasive among young Malaysians and urban voters, many of whom are reluctant to choose between Mahathir and Najib, who are seen as cut from the same cloth.
Mahathir, 92, who was himself criticised for his authoritarian premiership, told a news conference Malaysia’s 14th general election would be “dirty”.
“Should Najib win this election through his tricks and his cheating, then we can kiss goodbye to democracy in the 15th, 16th, 17th elections,” Mahathir said.
If elected, Mahathir would become the world’s oldest prime minister.
Najib resisted demands to step down in mid-2015 following reports of financial mismanagement at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), including that $681 million was deposited into his personal bank account.
Slideshow (2 Images)
Najib has denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB, but the scandal created a rift between Najib and Mahathir, who has become the prime minister’s harshest critic.
With the common goal of taking down Najib, Mahathir has joined hands with his former deputy and jailed opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, ending a feud that had shaped the country’s political narrative over two decades.
‘UNPREDICTABLE’
Najib’s United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party heads the ruling coalition that has held power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
The coalition lost the popular vote in the last election, in 2013, but Najib held on to power with a smaller majority in parliament.
Malaysia has a first-past-the-post election system, which is based on the number of seats won, not the popular vote.
Even if Najib’s coalition retains power, a weak victory could lead to an internal leadership challenge against him.
His predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had to step down after the coalition lost its two-thirds majority in the 222-seat parliament for the first time in 2008.
“He wants not only to win, but to win big,” said Yang Razali Kassim, Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
The election could be a very close call, he said.
“This will in fact be the most unpredictable general election in Malaysian politics,” he said.
Parliament is dissolved FMT Reporters
KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament is dissolved, the prime minister has announced, paving the way for the 14th general election (GE14) on the back of major realignments in political alliances on both sides of the divide.
“His Majesty (the Agong) has agreed to the dissolution of the Parliament from tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, 2018,” Najib Razak said today in a special speech broadcast live on public television channels, and attended by cabinet members.
A total of 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats are at stake.
The Election Commission will now set a date for accepting nomination of candidates, followed by two to three weeks of campaigning, based on past practice.
Earlier in his speech today, Najib underlined seven achievements under his leadership.
He said these include an economic growth of 5.9%, “among the highest in the world”, and the government’s embrace of moderate Islam while not subscribing to an understanding that is “too liberal and loose”.
“So why then the claim that Malaysia is a failed state?” he asked.
This will be Najib’s second general election as prime minister since taking over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009, following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) losses a year earlier.
It will also be BN’s second attempt at regaining its two-third majority lost in 2008, though many believe this will be impossible in the face of an opposition buoyed by the presence of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
On the opposition front, several new parties will go to the polls for the first time, including Amanah, the PAS splinter party formed in 2015, and Warisan, the Sabah-based party led by former Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal.
Today’s dissolution of Parliament also comes 24 hours after the dissolution of PPBM, following a decision by the Registrar of Societies giving the party a month to fulfil several conditions to avoid permanent deregistration.
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.
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced the dissolution of Parliament effective Saturday, April 7, paving the way for the 14th General Election (GE14).
The announcement was made at 12.13pm and broadcasted live via Najib’s official Facebook account.
It came after Najib’s audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara earlier.
Najib said that the Agong has consented to the dissolution of Parliament.
Barisan Nasional-controlled states are expected to dissolve their respective state assemblies either today or tomorrow.
The only exception is Sarawak, which held its state election in 2016.
The three opposition-ruled states — Selangor, Kelantan and Penang — are also expected to do the same.
Nominations are expected to be held by April 21 with polling as early as May 5.
This will be Barisan Nasional’s second general election under Najib’s leadership, who took over as prime minister on April 3, 2009.
Article 55(4) of the Federal Constitution stipulates that the general election must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for nomination and polling by next week.
Dissolution effectively ends the tenure of all members of parliament, leaving the country to be administered by a caretaker government, until the next Parliament is convened.
The last election was held on May 5, 2013. Parliament was dissolved on April 3, and nomination day was on April 20, 2013.
With voting expected to take place in early May, the focus in the coming days and weeks will be on the announcement of the candidates, the unveiling of BN’s election manifesto on Saturday and official campaigning by both sides to win the hearts and minds of the 14,968,304 million registered voters.
A total of 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats are up for contest.
