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GE14 Will Most Likely Be Held In May 2017, Says PAS Vice-President

He's made the conclusion based on the implementation of government projects that are usually common during election seasons.

Cover image via The Malay Mail Online

PAS vice-president Iskandar Samad thinks that the 14th General Elections will be held in May 2017.

He claims that this conclusion was made based on mainly the information he had received from government agencies.

PAS vice-president Iskandar Samad

Image via Yusof Mat Isa/ The Malay Mail Online

"This conclusion was drawn due to the implementation of several federal government projects that would typically be seen during election seasons.

"The Election Commission also appears to have issued briefing schedules for its election staff," said Iskandar, as reported by Malaysiakini today, 21 December.

The Cempaka MP also mentioned that he expects the pre-campaigning efforts to go full swing during the Chinese New Year celebrations which fall in late January

"Surely the BN will use celebration events to campaign and announce their 'sweeteners' to the public.

"Then, Parliament will be dissolved in late-March or April, forcing an election within 60 days," added Iskandar.

Another reason why the Selangor state executive councillor is under the opinion that GE14 will be called in mid 2017, is due the UMNO's internal struggles and the weakening of the ringgit

PM Najib Razak's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor during the 13th General Elections in 2013.

Image via Nicky Loh/Getty Images AsiaPac

Speculations on when the next general elections will be held was sparked earlier in September when Bloomberg quoted an UMNO division leader who said that, "March has been talked about. And why not? The opposition is not together. We are ready as we can be for elections."

The source had refused to be named.

PM Najib Razak at the 2016 UMNO General Assembly.

Image via Bernama

While UMNO is confident about their position and calling for elections sometime next year, Bloomberg quoted a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, Sholto Byrnes, as saying that the government will most likely want to hold elections when the people are "materially better off".

"Having it at a time when oil and commodity prices are so low, when there’s been a lot of fluctuation in the ringgit, negative talk about the economy - I would feel from those points of view, it’s a riskier time to hold elections sooner," added Byrnes.

However, Ooi Kee Beng, the deputy director of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore opined that the immense pressure and the scandals surrounding PM Najib Razak would drive him to "strategise instead of wait".

"It should not surprise anyone if the elections are called sometime next year," said Ooi.

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