PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia's premier called on Wednesday for fresh elections he is certain to win, and kicked off a campaign likely to be dominated by racial issues as religious tension rises in the southeast Asian nation.
more stories like thisPrime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters he had received consent from the country's king to dissolve parliament, effective Wednesday, and call for fresh elections.
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The popular comedian, better known as Vivek, arrived from Chennai yesterday morning and headed straight for the Perdana Leadership Foundation here to meet a man he most admired.
“Meeting Dr Mahathir is a dream come true. I compare him with (Dr APJ) Abdul Kalam (India’s former president).
“I have admired him from afar and have read a lot about him and the development he had brought to Malaysia.
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MELAKA: The government is not ‘slow’ in tackling current issues which are considered to be of concern to the voters and people, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The issue on price increases, for example, was not something that was confined to Malaysia alone but was a global phenomenon due to the strong demand for all commodities, he said.
“These issues certainly have an impact but with the explanation given by the Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, the people have regained their confidence,” he told reporters after a meeting with government officers and staff in conjunction with his two-day visit to Melaka.
He said this when asked to comment on a survey carried out by a local daily that pointed out that issues such as the crime rate, illegal immigrants and increases in commodity prices had caused public concern and would have an impact on the ruling party in the coming general election.
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KOTA BHARU, MALAYSIA: Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said Tuesday (12 Feb) that he will contest in the 12th General Elections.
“Although physically I'm weak because of my heart problems, but my mind is still very clear. I'm clear with the goal of my struggle. As long as my body continues to function as it is, I'll certainly contest in the elections,” he said.
Nik Abdul Aziz, who is 77-year-old, said his mission is to uphold his political struggle. However, he denied that he is the spiritual leader for PAS. He said it is not about his personal contribution to the party's achievements. Instead, it is about its members' support.
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LUMPUR (AFP)--Malaysian political dissident Anwar Ibrahim's party on Wednesday condemned the government's decision to hold snap polls before he is eligible to stand for office in April.
Anwar was sacked and jailed in 1998 on corruption and sodomy charges which have been widely condemned as politically motivated. The sodomy charge was quashed but the corruption count bars him from politics until this year.
"I think this is clearly the reason why the government is in such a rush to have elections at such short notice," said Tian Chua, information chief of Anwar's Keadilan party.
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PENANG, KUALA LUMPUR: Democratic Action Party (DAP) National Adviser cum Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang said if Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) Adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Secretary General Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye continue to play with the issue of “Lim Kit Siang and son Lim Guan Eng to build the Lim Dynasty in Penang”, he would not rule out the possibility of contesting in Penang together with his son.
He said it is still an uncertainty that whether Lin Guan Eng is going to contest in Penang in the coming elections but he has stated that he will stay for the seat of Ipoh Timur. “However, it is a pity that when Lim Keng Yaik mentioned about the decision of Gerakan Acting President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to move to the federal level, he attacked the issue of 'Lim Kit Siang and son to build the Lim Dynasty in Penang'.”
