Wait out your term, Mahathir advises Najib

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has advised Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to call for 13th general election only towards the end of its current term, which ends in March 2013.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, the former prime minister said this would pressure the Pakatan Rakyat state governments to dissolve the respective assemblies alongside Parliament for concurrent elections.

"There are problems for the government... what if the four states (under Pakatan Rakyat) don't want to have the election at the same time?

"To prevent the opposition taking advantage of their position, you should hold the election very near to the end of the current term, in which case they have no choice but to hold (the state) elections together," Mahathir said.

He was reiterating the same call he made in Putrajaya yesterday.

Najib has to call the general election before the term ends in March 2013, although speculation is rife that a snap general election could take place soon.

Mahathir said it would be beneficial for the Pakatan not to call state elections simultaneously with the general election so it can concentrate their resources.

"(The four states) they already have, so they can try to win the other states.

"If I was the prime minister that would be what I would do (delay the polls), but fortunately I am not," he said.

Pakatan governments had previously said they would not opt for early pollsas they needed more time to implement their policies.