The Election Commission (EC) has ruled out a snap election next month due to bad weather and the year-end festive season, and predicted polls to take place between March and June next year, a report said yesterday.

Despite talks of an election in December, EC secretary Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told the Malay-language Berita Minggu that he did not believe this was likely because of non-political factors such as the current monsoon season.

The monsoon, which led to floods on the northern and eastern regions, will make administrative matters tough for the EC and may discourage people in rural areas from coming out to vote, he said.

"There is no problem for the EC for the elections to be called anytime because we have made preparations since a year ago," he said.

"But the mood of the voters needs to be taken into consideration. During festive season, the people have different priorities and many of them go on holidays."

Poll dates: Up to Pak Lah

New Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has the right to decide when to dissolve parliament and call an election but Wan Ahmad believed it would be held at the latest by June next year, to coincide with state polls which must be called by then in eastern Sabah on Borneo island.

In an immediate reaction, Abdullah said the view expressed by EC was the organisation's view.

"Leave the EC with its view," he added.

The EC has a RM115 million budget for the upcoming elections, up 28 percent from the 1999 polls, and would hire 140,000 workers as well as 30 helicopters to deliver ballot boxes to rural areas, he added.

Elections are not due until the end of 2004 but Abdullah has signalled that polls could be called early as he sought to win his own mandate from voters after taking over from Mahathir Mohamad, who retired Oct 31 after 22 years in power.

A snap election will also allow his United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the linchpin of the ruling coalition, to capitalise on the high and generally positive profile generated by Mahathir's retirement.

Tough challenge from PAS

Umno faces a tough challenge for the votes from the hardline PAS, which last week unveiled a 53-page blueprint for turning moderate Malaysia into an Islamic state complete with punishments such as amputations and stoning to death.

PAS made strong inroads into Umno's powerbase in the 1999 polls. It controls two northeastern Malay majority states - Kelantan and oil rich Terengganu - and has set its sights on grabbing northern Perlis, Kedah, Pahang and central Selangor states.

But its influence has eroded amid fears of extremism following the September 11 terror attacks in the United States two years ago. The PAS Islamic state agenda has also led to the withdrawal of a key ally in an opposition alliance, and upset the two remaining parties. - AFP