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    02 July 2012| last updated at 01:15AM

    Parliamentary, state polls ‘at same time’

    By M. HAMZAH JAMALUDIN AND MAZLINDA MAHMOOD | news@nst.com.my

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    10 MONTHS TO GO: 13th general election can be held at any time, even next year, say pundits

    KUALA LUMPUR:  WITH fewer than 10 months before the parliamentar y term ends, it is increasingly likely that parliamentary and all state elections, except in Sarawak, will be held simultaneously.

    Political pundits and politicians said a June, self-imposed cut-off point by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had lapsed, leaving Pakatan Rakyat-led state governments with no more excuses to hold state elections at a later date.

    They were referring to a statement by Khalid in April that if Parliament was dissolved before last month, Selangor would not dissolve the state assembly.

    Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political analyst Associate Professor Dr Samsul Adabi Mamat said Pakatan Rakyat-led states had wrongly predicted that the general election would be held either in May, last month or this month.

    “They are running out of excuses and there is a high chance that parliamentary and state elections will be held together.”

    Asked over the weekend whether Selangor would hold concurrent elections, Khalid said: “We will never reveal our strategy.”

    The Election Commission said it did not favour having parliamentary and state elections at different times, given the additional cost of RM30 million for Selangor alone.

    As for election dates, MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said yesterday the 13th general election could be held at any time, even next year.

    “Our focus is not just on winning the general election but also on bringing Indians into the mainstream of development,” he said in Klang.

    The political chatter in Klang is about the possible candidacy of National Key Result Areas Fighting Corruption director D. Ravindran.

    Ravindran, a former chief executive officer at Hyderabad Airport, is the nephew of the late veteran politician Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam.

    He is slated to stand in Kapar against Parti Keadilan Rakyat incumbent S. Manikavasagam.

    In Kuantan, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said it was the prerogative of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide on Parliament’s dissolution date and the list of winnable Barisan Nasional candidates.

    “A candidate can be popular among the people, but if they don’t vote for him, then the party will not win the seat,” he said after launching the “BN: The Choice of Youth” programme at Sultan Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Hall.

    The first meeting of the current Dewan Rakyat was held on April 28, 2008, meaning the term will lapse on April 28 next year.

     

    Additional reporting by Ili Liyana Mokhtar, G. Surach and Hidir Reduan

     

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