Polls after Hari Raya Puasa, speculates Mahathir

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today speculated that as far as he is concerned, the perfect time for polls should be in mid-September, after the Muslim festival of Hari Raya Puasa.

However he clarified that the ultimate decision on when to dissolve parliament will be up to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“The signs are good (for BN)... But it is up to Najib whether he is convinced that he will achieve his objective,” said the former premier at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Najib’s objective, explained Mahathir (right), is to recover BN’s two-thirds majority, something which he believe is the challenge for the PM.

However, Mahathir said that the going for BN won’t be as rough as what they had to go through during the 2008 political tsunami.

Even if polls were to be held in June, he believed, things will still be hunky dory for the ruling party.

Speaking after being announced as the National Reading Icon at the National Library today, the former PM again accused the opposition on the other hand as not confident of winning Putrajaya through polls.

Which was why, he reiterated, they were trying to foment a Tahrir Square-like revolt during last month’s Bersih 3.0 pro-electoral reform rally.

Approached by reporters at the same function, Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim (left) threw more brickbats at the opposition.
Responding to a question on the recent spat between PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, Rais pointed out the Islamic and the socialist parties are at odds with each other as their ideologies conflict with one another.

“For sure PAS is not going to stay in league with Karpal and Lim Kit Siang of the DAP in the long run,” he said.

Instead Rais called on PAS to revive talks or muzakarah on cooperation with Umno as both parties fights for the same things, the Malay race and Islam.