Kuala Lumpur (dpa) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said his ruling coalition was aiming to regain its absolute majority in general elections expected to be called in June. “We will strive our best to get the two-thirds and we'll work hard towards it,” he told foreign correspondents this week. A two-thirds majority would restore the power to change the constitution to the Barisan Nasional (National Front) ruling coalition, which has governed the country for more than half a century. “In today's modern democracy most prime ministers would be over the moon if he or she were to get comfortable simple majority,” enough to keep power, Najib said. But he was aiming for the two-thirds majority, which his coalition lost in 2009 when the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) won nearly half the seats in mainland Malaysia. “What's important is to have stable and reasonably strong government,” he said. The elections are due in March 2013 at the latest, but observers expect them to be called early, perhaps in June, as the government appears to have stepped up populist policies since January. Households earning less than 3,000 ringgit (970 dollars) per month have received one-time handouts of 500 ringgit, and government employees have seen their wages hiked. Najib has used the policies to defend himself against accusations of favoring ethnic Malays who make up 60 percent of the country's 28 million people. “Our policy today is much fairer than before,” he said. “It is based not on race, but on need.” He conceded that his government has retained preferential programs for Malays, but said the affirmative action programs had been modified to ensure that they benefited “those who deserve it.” He also cited bills in parliament to repeal the unpopular Internal Security Act, which allows authorities to detain people indefinitely without charges, and to reform the electoral system. Najib's personal popularity has soared by 10 percentage points to reach 69 per cent as of February, according to a recent survey conducted by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research. But the pollster's report cautioned that the personal rating does not always translate into ballots on election day. Abdullah, 35, said he was unconvinced. His job in a food court on the outskirts of the capital earns him 1,500 ringgit a month, qualifying him for the handout, but he said he was not for sale. “I took the 500 ringgit they gave me but I will still vote for Pakatan,” he said. “I believe that it's time to change the government.” Former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin predicted the National Front could only win in three of the country's 12 states – Johor, Malacca and Pahang. The premier's personal popularity “is not going to be enough for success” in the parliamentary elections, said Daim, a leader of the United Malay National Organization, the dominant party in the ruling coalition. “The prime minister has done enough, but the problem is that people cannot see his team,” he was quoted by the Malaysian Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau. Najib, whose father was Malaysia's third prime minister, Abdul Razak, seems to be taking the challenge seriously. “I never worked harder before in my life and you know my work schedule now is punishing,” the 58-year-old said, referring to his weekend campaign trips. The veteran politician first entered parliament at the age of 22 in 1976, and came to power after the coalition lost most of its majority in the 2009 elections. He declined this week to divulge the date of the elections. The question was “like asking the chief executive of Coca-Cola the secret formula for Coca-Cola,” he said. “I'm sure you can appreciate why I can't reveal it even if I know.” He did say that he was hoping to give his government the greatest chance of the comfortable majority he is seeking. “We do not want a hung parliament or something that would spell political uncertainty,“ he said. “It could spell trouble for the country.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Sk11a Tags: Election, Malaysia, Politics, Razak Section: Features, Latest News, Southeast Asia
