NAJIB NO LONGER GUNG-HO, IN DESPERATE NEED FOR ‘PLAN B’ AS UMNO AGM ALSO BOMBS IN HIS FACE: GE14 NOW DEFERRED TO ‘BEFORE JUNE’, NO MORE AFTER CNY

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak walks beside his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) general assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia December 7, 2017. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin

THE 14th general election will most likely be held before June, said Prime Minister Najib Razak today.

“Everyone knows we have a time limit. No later than June,” he said in a press conference after the closing of the Umno general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

He said this after being asked to comment on his message to the delegates at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

Najib, however, was coy when asked if this meant elections would be held next month.

“It could mean (we) are not going anywhere because of floods,” he said in jest.

Najib said he is confident Umno-Barisan Nasional will get the 2/3 mandate parliament in the coming general election.

“Yes, the mood is good. The opposition is inconsistent with its manifesto and policies. It has serious leadership problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Economist predicts the election would be held sooner rather than later, as prisoned politician Anwar Ibrahim who is the key figure in the opposition coalition, could walk free in April.

As such, The Economist said elections could be after Chinese New Year in February.

Separately, Najib said Malaysia’s stand in opposing US’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would not affect the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

“We can cooperate in other areas but in this matter it is against our principle and our sovereignty. Even the Christians were not happy with the announcement. This does not only affect Muslim countries,” he said.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT