Manifesto in the works, BN activists prepare for GE13

File photo of BN flags strung on a building in Kuala Lumpur. The coalition is gearing up for the general election by putting the finishing touches to its manifesto.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Barisan Nasional (BN) parties have begun distributing laptops and mobile phones to operation centres across the country to monitor and mobilise voters for Election 2013, as the ruling coalition puts finishing touches to its manifesto for the general election.

The Malaysian Insider understands the Umno headquarters here has sent out laptops and mobile phones to all party divisions for use on polling day, similar to United States presidential contender Mitt Romney’s campaign last year.

“We got laptops to check and verify voters’ status with the latest electoral rolls. And mobile phones to send back polling results,” an Umno official told The Malaysian Insider.

He said Puteri Umno will use the laptops containing the electoral rolls while other Umno members will relay polling results to the party headquarters.

The Umno officials said the party has worked hard to ensure there were no communication hitches to mobilise voters and also receive results and assessments on polling day, unlike Romney whose campaign servers broke down and hampered his polling day activities.

The Election Commission (EC) has said the latest electoral rolls with 13.34 million registered voters will be gazetted this Friday. Malaysia’s 28 million population has some 16 million eligible to vote, with many registering since Election 2008.

A BN leader also confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that the ruling coalition is finalising its election manifesto, which will include separate manifesto for several states and one for women and family.

“The manifesto should be done very soon,” he said, adding the bulk of preparations should be done by the end of this month.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has hinted that he will call elections soon but analysts and political activists predict it won’t be held before March 8, five years since the last general election.

The BN’s current five-year mandate only expires five years after the 12th Parliament convened on April 28, 2008. The EC, which decides polling dates, has 60 days to hold elections.

There has been speculation that Najib might dissolve Parliament this month but BN officials say they are still receiving lists of candidates from component parties and potential candidates need to go for background checks.

“The PM only wants winnable candidates. So we have to check and check thoroughly,” the BN official said.

“There is still time for elections in March, or April, or later,” he added, refusing to speculate the exact time frame for the official election campaign and polling day.

BN suffered historic losses in Election 2008 when it lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and four states to political foes PAS, PKR and the DAP. The three parties later formed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) which now rule Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor. It also ruled Perak for nearly a year but defections brought down their government in 2009.

Sources say BN is confident of winning 145 federal seats in Election 2013, more than the 140 won in 2008. However, intelligence officials have given a conservative assessment of only 135 seats to BN.

BN now has136 seats in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat after four federal MPs declared they were independents while PR has 76 lawmakers after six quit the pact.