Malaysia dissolves parliament

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced the dissolution of parliament to prepare for the upcoming general election.

"The King has accepted my request to dissolve parliament, effective from April 3," Prime Minister Najib said in a televised address.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of parliament - Photo: Reuters

Prime Minister Najib’s National Front (BN) coalition has been in power for more than 50 years. The first time this coalition lost its majority in parliament was in the 2008 election – BN’s worst result in elections. Therefore, the pressure on BN to win this election is very high.

If it continues to fail, Prime Minister Najib's economic reform policies may be affected, and his leadership reputation may also be shaken. Prime Minister Najib warned that if the opposition wins, it could create instability for Malaysia's economy and society. The BN coalition still maintains its prestige thanks to the economic growth of Malaysia - the third largest economy in Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Najib talked about the economic growth rate of 5.6% last year to campaign.

This year's general election is expected to be extremely tense. Mr. Najib's opponent is the leader of the coalition of three opposition parties, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to the BBC, the opposition movement is especially popular in urban areas. They criticize the ruling party for corruption and discrimination.

The campaign will last two weeks. Election officials will meet in the next few days to set a date for the vote. Many believe it will take place in late April.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT