After relentless public pressure, speculation and even ridicule on social media, Najib has announced the dissolution of Parliament effective today.
He made the announcement ‘live’ on national TV at 11.34am. Najib, however, slipped in announcing the date as “Today, 3 April 2012 (instead of 2013)”.
The Agong has given his consent.
Najib has also requested that state elections be held simultaneously with the federal elections. He also promised a peaceful transition of power if it led to that.
Najib said he is humbled at being given the people’s trust to lead the country – but he has never led the ruling coalition into a general election, until today. Will the people now endorse his leadership after all the vote-buying in recent months?
Deputy premier Muhyiddin was standing solemnly on Najib’s right with an ever-so-faint smile. His presence at Najib’s side is significant as he could be next in line to succeed Najib if the BN scrapes through with a razor-thin majority. After concluding his speech, Najib shook hands with Muhyiddin as the No 2 flashed a broad grin.
This prompted political activist Wong Chin Huat to share on Facebook: “A vote for BN in 2013 is a vote for Muhyiddin, not Najib, just like a vote for BN in 2008 was a vote for Najib, not Abdullah. Malaysia, are you ready for Muhyiddin Yassin as your 7th Prime Minister?”
The nation goes to the polls amidst significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral rolls and on the back of unprecedented cash and other handouts announced by the PM.
The final lap of the campaign has begun with earnest. Expect state machinery like RTM to be abused for ruling coalition campaigning. One activist said: “Najib’s address over television sounded like a campaign speech to me.”
The caretaker PM, for his part, tweeted:
“Mulai hari ini saya akan turun bertemu rakyat bagi meyakinkan mereka kenapa kami BN perlu diberi majoriti kukuh.” #PRU13
— Mohd Najib Tun Razak (@NajibRazak) April 3, 2013
The minimum campaign period is 10 days from nomination day, and the general election could be done and dusted by the time the Asean summit is held in Brunei on 24-25 April – though the actual deadline for polling day is 60 days from the dissolution of Parliament today i.e. early June.
The BN now holds 137 seats, Pakatan 75, and others including independents 10 in the 222-seat Parliament.
In an immediate reaction:
@anilnetto Time to do the right thing so that we do not regret another 5 years of abuse.
— Stanley Goh (@StanleyGoh) April 3, 2013
Certainly, for Penang, this election is not about ‘tunnel underground’ vs ‘monorail in the sky’ as some would like us to believe for reasons of their own. It is about whether there should be change in Putrajaya after 56 years of Umno-BN rule. It is about the quest for a more equitable economic system, underpinned by sustainable development, that puts the interests of the poor and the marginalised at the forefront. It is about putting an end to rampant corruption, restoring the crediblity of institutions of governance and promoting decentralisation. Those are the real issues.
But first things first: please check your voter registration details on the Election Commission database to see if there have been any changes.
Meanwhile, share with us your impressions of the ‘live’ announcement on television and what you think will be the key issues emerging in the run-up to the polls.
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Watch this parody video on parlimen dibubar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJMbkqqqAEk
11…najib’s lucky number?…thats a laugh…was he not humiliated in penang on the 11th…and talk about the sulu fiasco…didn’t they land on our shores on the 11th as well…lucky number indeed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r78UPiUloRY
Old video, but masih relevan lagi !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22008933
Same question for Malaysia !
aiyoh cannot get into spr website? heavy traffic? 😀
Yes, it has been like that today. But keep trying. I managed to get in earlier this afternoon. SPR should have anticipated this and boosted their server capacity.
If you want CORRUPTION, SCANDALS, LIES & CHEATING vote BN If you want our country monies and resources to be plundered until we are bankrupt then vote BN If you want your rights and democracy to be subverted, vote BN If you think that no compensation should be given to those whose house has been demolish such as Kg Buah Pala you have to vote BN. If you think BN ADUNs/top leaderships is right to (grab) the land from Kg Buah Pala residents and sell them to a rich developer, then you have to vote BN If you find PRIMA… Read more »
Very good, Yang. A+ for you.
Well said Yang.
By the way, ‘Saving General Yang’ the epic war movie opens today.
You must be proud to have a very brave ancestor in China.
Keep up with your bold writings to refute the nonsense of Gerakan K.
But the infighting within BN will not save BN!
1) If you want BR1M 3.0, you have to vote BN. 2) If you do not want LGE’s 6.5 billion highways + stupid tunnel, you have to vote BN. 3) If you believe DAP Penang gomen should run a proper local election and not ‘aliran mini local election’, then you have to vote BN because DAP failed to implement its election promise. 4) If you think Kg Buah Pala demolition is CRUEL, you have to vote BN. DAP failed to keep its election promise to protect Kg Buah Pala from demolition. 5) If you think Pakatan ADUNs/top leaderships switched off… Read more »
….. “Today, 3 April 2012 (instead of 2013)”
Is the Agong’s consent valid on an error statement, on something thats not a fact???
What’s (he) done now???
The AG can have Najib arrested for illegally holding Office and Deputy installed as PM! Then the new PM makes the correct announcement or none at all …
Then we’re going to have “no GE13” at all !!!
This GE is decide by the Malays – do they want to change the course of the country & save it while they still can or will they let UMNO run it into the ground. Unfortunately, the gula-gula is making the civil servants think twice, the teachers already said why change… if we can’t change the govt this time round, we are finished, like Cyprus. They will tax your savings. There’s no more money in the govt’s coffer ~ already spent on his whimsical 1Shopping!
I had just listened to the annoucement in which he saif dissolution on 3 April 2012? 2012? Macam mana ni? What is the implication of announcing it for 2012 instead of 2013?
3 April 2013: 3, 4, 13
3+4+1+3 = 11
11 is Naj1b’s lucky number.
But we all know he has already ran out of luck.
Ini Kali Lah!
This GE can be put simply as The Rest of US Vs. Mahathir’s (Wealth). Its really that simply. Everything else really are much much smaller including his cronies and children’s billions and even Rosmah excesses, Najib’s failure, etc.. It has been about that since 1998..Anwar and everybody else is simply the vessels of THAT issue. Do we want Mahathir to account for his (wealth) along with everything it represent and the damages it has done AND WILL DO. Its the same issue with Marcos, Mubarak, Mugabe except we ge t to do something about it before everything goes down the… Read more »
Let’s put the small talk and witty snide remarks away and now VOTE if you want a CHANGE. Either way it’s your choice. You’ve lived for the past 50 years under the unfair conditions by the present government if you like it so be it. I for my part will walk to our poling station and return in a Rocket. The Daching is not level and takes one no places especially for pendatangs like me.
Najib just said goodbye to the rakyat – looking forward to welcome him back in a month’s time – as opposition leader!
Setiap undi kita adalah penting. Janganlah dipertaruhkan masa depan anak-anak & negara Malaysia. Jangan kita dihalakan ke arah negara muflis menjelang 2020.
Jom Ubah!
Ini Kali lah!
Ya, BN membawa kita ke bankrap nation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBPyHJaxAiQ
Yeh Anil,
Did you notice the look on najibs and muhidins face.
Najibs face looked like how PIBalas face looked on the morning of the second SD and
muhidins face looks like he was victorious over forcing/pressuring someone to do his bidding.
Most of the ministers looked ripe for retirement.
INI KALILAH ABU ABU ABU
We can notice Najib’s “worrying” face and still to making promises like an empty drum
Finally the chicken has come out of his roost.
He will be roasted soon.
Najib has promised that there will be a peaceful transition of power should there be a change in government after the 13th general election. A true test of his ‘janji Ditepati’?
It remains to be seen. The first sensible statement he has made since he became PM, in my opinion.
DPM MOOheddin and the cabinet members/Ministers standing to hear Najib’s speech, like … chickens waiting to (meet their fate), no joy in their face,all look worried.
A song dedication to Naj1b and gang after 4 years of 1adminsiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTLwzuQuRsw
Rakyat is now awakened!