Parliament will be dissolved in April ?
PETALING JAYA -
The dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for the general election
looks likely to take place only after the second week of April as Datuk
Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to perform the umrah or minor haj next
week.
Sources said the Prime Minister is expected to depart for Saudi
Arabia on April 3 after chairing the next Cabinet meeting and taking
part in a cycling event in Putrajaya.
He is expected to return two days later.
For Muslims, the umrah is sometimes performed to seek guidance before
making major decisions and for Najib, it has been an annual ritual.
Speculation has been growing that the Prime Minister, who would mark
his fourth year in office next Wednesday, may stretch close to the full
five-year term of the current Parliament, which expires on April 30,
before calling for polls.
“We are ready but Barisan component parties and machinery can always
use any extra time available to ensure that we are as prepared as
possible for the general election,” said Barisan Nasional information
chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan.
The Negri Sembilan state legislative assembly expired on Thurs-day
and all but three states would follow if the Prime Minister decides to
allow Parliament to run its full term.
They are Penang whose term expires on May 2, as well as Kedah and Terengganu, with both expiring on May 6.
Over the past few days, the Prime Minister has been chairing a series
of meetings with Barisan component party leaders and the coalition’s
state leaders to finalize the candidate list.
In addition to performing the umrah, it is understood that Najib
could also make a quick trip to Brunei on April 24 to attend the Asean
Summit.
No Malaysian Prime Minister has ever given the meeting a miss, as Asean is the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy.
- Mazwin Nik Anis and Razak Ahmad / The Star / MDhttp://www.kualalumpurpost.net/
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