By NNN-Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Speculation was particularly intense Tuesday, especially among SMS users, that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will call for the 12th General Election Wednesday since 13 is his favourite number and Wednesday happens to be Feb 13.
But Abdullah dampened various conjectures and suppositions that he would dissolve Parliament Wednesday when he said that he would do so as speculated by many.
The Malaysian prime minister even dismissed talk that Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting would be the last before the polls by saying that such meetings would go on and on irrespective of the polls.
For now, telecommunication companies in the country have been the main beneficiaries of the intense speculation which simmered down somewhat later Tuesday night.
SMSes have been circulating almost non-stop with various assumptions that an announcement will be made Wednesday as all political parties in the country are said to have been preparing for the polls.
Speculation that Parliament could be dissolved as early as Wednesday gained currency after Abdullah said on Sunday that he did not rule out that possibility.
“Yes, I like the number 13. It’s because nobody wants it. Those who are superstitious may say ”habislah” if they got number 13. If people do not want it, let me take it then,” he was quoted as saying. Incidentally, Abdullah’s official car bears the number 13.
Some political insiders said Abdullah had also given the green light to all state Umno liaison committees to draw up their lists of potential candidates on the same Sunday.
However, the prime minister later did say to reporters that he had yet to receive the lists.
Those following Abdullah’s remarks intently are of the view that the election may be held soon, especially from what he told CNN in an interview from Davos, Switzerland in mid-January.
“We will call for the election when I think everything is all right and at the moment I think the people are ready for the election,” Abdullah said in the interview which was conducted on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
The last general election in 2004 was called on Wednesday March 3 and Parliament was dissolved on March 4. Nomination was on March 13 while polling was on March 21.
According to a Barisan Nasional source, Abdullah was asked not to call the election before Feb 21 until the lunar new year celebrations are over. Chinese New Year ends on Feb 21 or Chap Goh Meh, the “15th Night”.
Many political observers expect Abdullah to call for the polls by mid-March even though the Barisan Nasional’s five-year mandate only expires in the middle of next year.
So Wednesday is out as far as the pundits speculating on the date are concerned.
But given the strong momentum in the election machinery among all political parties, the speculation and the wait will go on until Abdullah finally announces the date.
For people who are primarily involved in the election, especially those who have yet to be confirmed to contest, the wait can especially be a nail-biting experience.
All said, it is the prime minister’s prerogative to announce the date after he has evaluated all factors.