Abdullah brushes off talk of early general election

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has scoffed at talk that Barisan Nasional might call for an early general election to derive political gains from the implementation of the 9th Malaysia Plan.

He said the coalition had received a thumping mandate from the people in the last general election.

“The mandate is for a five-year term. So why must we unnecessarily call for an election in the second or third year?” he told newsmen after handing over transitional aid to tobacco growers here yesterday.

Summing up his two-day visit to Kelantan, Abdullah said he could sense a major change of attitude among the people as well as among state Umno leaders.

The people, he said, were responding well to the RM7.6bil worth of development projects to be implemented in the state under the 9th Plan.

“I have made an effort to gauge their feedback during the speeches and it was good,” he said.

Abdullah said he was encouraged by the strong unity among Umno leaders here.

“If there are any problems, they should thrash it out in the sprit of consensus,” he said.

“When the party is strong, the people will give their support.”