BARISAN Nasional lynchpin Umno is pushing for snap polls to avoid facing an electorate angry at soaring inflation, political analysts said.

They added Najib Razak was also thinking of his own legal woes when he recently warned Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob not to make the same mistake as he did when he was prime minister in calling the elections late.

Professor James Chin of the University of Tasmania said if Umno wants to avoid a resentful electorate, now’s the the time to hold the election.

“Many of the economic indicators will be much worse next year,” Chin told The Malaysian Insight.

“If they don’t want the people to be too angry, in terms of cost of living, now is probably the best time to hold elections.”

Chin said there is also a possibility that former prime minister Najib and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trials will conclude next year.

“This is also another reason to hold an election now.”

A date has yet to be set for the next general election, which must be held by July 2023.

Ismail has been under pressure from his party to call elections at once, following BN’s landslide wins in the Malacca, Sarawak and Johor elections.

At the BN convention last week, Najib warned the prime minister against delaying the general election as the stakes were high.

In the 2018 polls, BN lost to the opposition for the first time in 60 years, when Pakatan Harapan won 121 seats. BN took 74 and PAS, 18.

Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar warned that while BN wants to ride on a winning trend, a general election is vastly different from state polls.

“Having an election now may trap (disadvantage) certain parties,” he said.

“The large increase in new voters could also be a major factor that will influence the decision of the majority who will vote later.

“There is no clear indication that GE15 will be advantageous to parties expecting an easy win.”

Chin said DAP and PKR are most against early elections as they are worried they will lose badly.

The general election is also unlikely to result in better leaders, Chin added.

Hisomuddin said the question of leaders is one that is yet to be discussed.

“The line-up of BN candidates will be determined by the party leaders, who have already been rejected by the majority in the last GE.

“As for the opposition, this is space for them to line up credible, attractive faces and perhaps give more space to young candidates.”

Chin and Hisommudin agreed that a general election now will not be in the interest of the people.

“People want political stability, a return to normalcy, a better economy, and better lives. Unfortunately, they are not going to get any of those things.

“The top politicians decide (when the general election is held). Even if they do consult the people, they never listen so it is irrelevant,” Chin said.

Hisommudin added that the people’s needs seem to have taken a backseat to politicking.

“All the parties seem to have overlooked the issues plaguing the people and have not included them in their political narrative.

“Even the opposition is not raising issues close to the people’s hearts to win their support.”  – June 9, 2022.