Guan Eng predicts GE14 to be held late April or early May

The DAP secretary-general says Najib Razak will not want to wait until June 24 when Parliament automatically dissolves.

GEORGE TOWN: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has predicted that the 14th general election will be held either in late April or early May.

He said this was based on several factors. The first is the scheduled release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in June and the fasting month of Ramadan which will begin in the middle of May.

Following Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz’s remarks that Parliament would likely be dissolved in April, Lim deduced that the election must be held before May 16, which was likely to be the first day of Ramadan.

Lim said it was unlikely that Prime Minister Najib Razak would wait until June 24 when the Dewan Rakyat would automatically be dissolved and the general election would have to be held by August.

He said this wait-out option was not possible for Najib as Anwar was scheduled to be released on June 8 and Anwar would be free to campaign against BN then.

“(To see) Anwar campaigning in the general election together with Pakatan prime minister-designate Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the deputy prime minister-designate (Dr) Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, would be the greatest nightmare of Najib.

“Therefore, the latest date for the general election to be held will be before May 16, which is before the beginning of the Ramadan month.

“May 13 is also an unlikely date even though it falls on a Sunday, due to the direct connection to the bloody May 13 racial riots in 1969.

“This only leaves a late April and an early May date as the likeliest date for polls,” Lim said in a speech at the DAP leaders’ retreat at Subang, Selangor, today.

Lim told Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders that it was very important for the opposition pact to win the states of Perak, Kedah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan, apart from retaining Penang and Selangor.

“The DAP general election machinery will be fully mobilised within 100 days to ensure that our organisation, publicity and the financial mechanism are ready and functional together with the leadership team and candidate roster.

“DAP directs all its state committees to gear up for a 100-day general election countdown to prepare for DAP’s do-or-die battle to help Pakatan Harapan win the 14th general election to save Malaysia and prevent the future of our children from being stolen.” -FMT