Malaysian PM Delivers Unity Message. General Elections Imminent?

Malaysia's leader urged his nation's citizens to unite for the future as its ethnic Chinese minority ushered in the Lunar New Year Sunday, ending a previous lunar cycle that was dogged by frustrations over equity distribution and minority rights.

"All our efforts won't bear fruit if the citizens of Malaysia do not stay united and work together," Abdullah said in his Chinese New Year message.

Sixty percent of Malaysia's 26 million citizens are Malay. Ethnic Chinese comprise a quarter of the population while Indians make up 10 percent. Ethnic Chinese also control the country's wealth base, the government says.

"We are able to live in harmony because we have an agreement to power share among the races," Abdullah said. "As prime minister, I will focus efforts on creating a multi-ethnic society that is dynamic, progressive, living in peace and harmony."

Sunday, Abdullah celebrated the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, with top Chinese political leaders from his ruling National Front coalition at their annual gatherings to usher in the year of the pig with traditional Chinese dance, music and food.

Economic progress

His Lunar New Year statement was peppered with news on the country's economic progress, and its outlook for 2007.

Local media, which rarely deviate from the government line, have been recently trumpeting Abdullah's economic achievements since he took over from Mahathir Mohamad in 2003. Several analysts have said the recent feel-good news only points to an early election, possibly by year's end.

"Economic indicators such as the nation's 2006 trade figure surpassing 1 trillion ringgit (US$286 billion; euro218 billion), and the rise in the stock market index shows the economy is progressing," Abdullah said.

A series of events last year appeared to threaten carefully crafted race relations policies that came after deadly race riots in the 1960s. The policies are designed to benefit majority Malays by providing them better opportunities than minority races. Ruling party members had expressed unhappiness in the slow progress in helping Malays catch up with wealthier Chinese.

A top local think tank also said a decades-old affirmative action policy benefiting Malays had run its course and needed to be altered. The report angered top government leaders, including Abdullah, and led to a retraction and apology by the institute's leader.

Policy warning

Ethnic minorities were warned not to question the policy, which gives Malays preferential loans, housing and government contracts.

The events did not sit well with some ethnic Chinese leaders and the opposition, and observers said some chest-thumping statements by the majority had sparked fear among ethnic Chinese and warned of capital flight from its largest local equity base.

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's most peaceful and stable countries, and the government promotes the country as a model of racial harmony. There are no immediate fears of any overt tensions, but Abdullah has noted the nation is haunted by the specter of race riots that killed hundreds in 1969. (NDTV.Com)

***** Even though the nation's first son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin has ruled out elections 'anytime soon,' the flurry of positive news originating from the highest levels of government leaves one a little suspicious that the BN might suddenly spring a snap poll surprise on us. Pak Lah's trillion ringgit economy claim, the too-good-to-believe economic indicators, DPM Najib's laboured defence and justification of the said indicators and the recent postponement of toll charges in Penang all seem too much of a coincidence to be happening at the same time.

The many issues over the past few years where the leadership greatly disappointed the non-Malays will finally take its toll when the time to vote comes. If elections had been held a month ago, probably a majority of non-Malays would have voted against the BN if there were a credible alternative. The recent Batu Talam farce of a by-election must have unnerved the leadership when the MCA and Gerakan could not bring in all the Chinese votes. There is a very real fear that the non-Malays might become so desperate that even PAS may seem to be a lesser evil than the BN. The government is fully aware of the general disenchantment and is taking quick steps to somehow reduce the risk of a mass shift in electoral loyalty. Thus this public claim of much economic progress is possibly the first tentative step to test the waters and if found favorable, to call for general elections at the earliest.
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PM's Comment: Efforts to spur economy not sign of general elections soon