'BN not jittery about dissolving Parliament'

The federal government is not jittery about dissolving Parliament to pave way for the 13th general election, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said today.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Nazri said, has done nothing wrong in not calling for the dissolution for the general election as it is within his power to decide.

"We (BN) cannot be jittery as April 28 will still come and we cannot run away from that date.

"We are not scared of the opposition, they are jittery. They want to have early elections. They (the opposition) are jittery. We are not. We are not scared of them (the opposition)," Nazri (right) stressed.

He conceded that it has not been the tradition for the government to wait this long to call for the dissolution of Parliament, especially since the Negri Sembilan state assembly will be automatically dissolved at midnight tomorrow.

"Once we have dissolved (Parliament), the federal government has 60 days, just as Negri Sembilan has got 60 days. The Election Commission (EC) will rationalise the election date as the EC wants to hold joint (federal-state) elections.

'We will complete what we want to do'

Nazri said the optimal level (to hold a snap election) was three years ago, but it shows the confidence of the government and the PM needs more time to work.

"We will complete what we want to do, including helping the rakyat, and then call for the election," he said.

To another question on "when", since the prime minister has finished touring all the states and has attended functions everywhere, Nazri said there were possibly more things to do.

Asked again as to whether the general election would be called next month or in May, Nazri said it could be in May.

"We have until April 28 (to dissolve Parliament). Please tell the opposition not to be jittery as April 28 will not run away. Come April 28, we will dissolve and we will face in the elections," Nazri added.

Nazri had earlier represented the government in signing an agreement with the Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation secretary-general Dr Rahmat Mohamad for the body to operate arbitration cases at the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre Arbitration.

Given that Negri Sembilan state assembly automatically dissolved at midnight tomorrow, GE13 must be held at the latest by May 27.

Related stories