Saturday January 26, 2013

Polls likely in early March, says Deputy Parliament Speaker

KUCHING: Parliament might be dissolved as early as the end of next month to make way for polls in March.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would not call for polls so soon since the Chinese were now busy preparing and celebrating the Lunar New Year.

“The Prime Minister has to take the Lunar New Year that falls on Feb 10 into consideration. Two weeks or after Chap Goh Mei, I believe he may dissolve the Parliament.”

He said the latest could be early March since the term of one state assembly in the peninsula will expire on March 21.

“Looking at this, the Prime Minister may not want to wait for Parliament to expire which is on April 28,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Wan Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, said if the dissolution took place in April, Parliament sitting would have to take place in March.

He said Najib had between now and mid-February to decide because all MPs must be informed of the sitting by then.

“If there is no indication by the Prime Minister, we’ll automatically issue a notice to all MPs on the March sitting. Parliament can still be dissolved midway for the polls,” he said.

He said personally, he was exhausted waiting for the polls to be called, adding that he had been preparing for the big day the moment he was re-elected in 2008.

Wan Junaidi said Santubong PBB had set up its election operations rooms in Tanjung Datu, Pantai Damai and Demak Laut three days ago, and a report on its prepared- ness would be submitted to party headquarters today.

He added that Santubong’s election machinery had been in place since the 2011 state election and was ready to go.

Earlier, Wan Junaidi, who was invited by Ghee Yong Holdings (LKY) as a guest to a lucky draw contest, drew up 25 names.

The grand prize went to Aloysius Chagik Long, who won a Perodua Viva, while the second prize went to EEC Engineering Sdn Bhd, which won a Demak EVO Z and the third prize went to Nurfarahim Abdullah, who won a Suzuki Smash V115.

Ghee Yong Holdings (LKY) Sdn Bhd chairman and director Temenggong Lu Kim Yong said the draws were held to reward customers for their support.

He said the contest started two years ago with over 700 partici- pants, which was equivalent to the number of motorcycles sold by the company.

News

Saturday January 26, 2013

Polls likely in early March, says Deputy Parliament Speaker