Pakatan: Nov polls or not, it’s on

Nazri Abdul Aziz's claim that the general election will not happen in November means little to Pakatan Rakyat.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have scoffed at claims that the general election may not be in November as planned.

Some, such as DAP-Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran, feel that only Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has the power to decide when the polls can be held.

“It is a total prerogative of the PM. Anything can happen,” he said, referring to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s statement.

Yesterday, Nazri felt that it was “stupid” to believe that the ever-elusive general election would be held in November this year.

His reason for this was that the 2013 Budget – due to be tabled on Sept 28 – needed to be debated and passed first.

An election then, he said, would clash with the Budget.

Kulasegaran however attacked Nazri, calling his claims a “smokescreen”. He said that the PM’s speeches of late strongly indicated that elections were around the corner.

“The Budget is not the only thing that sways or loses an election,” he said.

In a jibe at Barisan Nasional’s popularity, PAS-Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad felt that desperate times called for desperate measures.

He added that BN would call for elections when it would best suit the coalition, though he did find it strange with November as a possible election date, due to Malaysia’s monsoon season then.

“As far as the Budget is concerned, it can be an election budget, so that’s a lot easier for BN to present and promise the sky and have the elections before they really need to implement it,” he said.

Meanwhile, PKR-Ba’kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said Najib seemed to lean towards November, especially as it was known that the number 11 was his favourite number.

However, the Sarawak PKR chief appeared annoyed that the election date were left in Najib’s hands.

“The date for the election should be known publicly…When exactly it is. Such an important event for the nation, affecting lives of the people should not be left for guessing,” he said.

Baru added that not knowing when the election meant that Pakatan had to be on its toes at all times.

“We have to get ready every day, which we are doing. If it cannot be in November, that will give us more time to move again and share our vision and policies with the people,” he said.