KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia government, and it political party Umno appear to be readying themselves for the next general election. Although no date has been announced, the party said that it will begin an information program at polling district centers. The Umno information program said that this was the final preparation ahead of the general election, which must be called for before April next year. Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said the program which would replace the “People's Champion” program previously, would be held in every division, almost daily. “We have about 7,000 polling district centres throughout the country. Their secretariats are the divisional information chiefs,” he told reporters after the ‘Sahur Perdana' gathering in Kerpan on Wednesday morning. Maslan, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the campaign was needed in order to explain the government's efforts to provide services to Malaysians including the various assistance provided. But opposition leaders and activists have cried foul, urging the government to be more transparent in its efforts to campaign before an official launch of a date for the elections. They told Bikyamasr.com, on condition of anonymity, that “the government is using its position to campaign before the actual campaign can begin. That is not fair.” In recent weeks, opposition leaders and activists have called on the government to announce its plans for the general election, but Prime Minister Najib Razak has largely remained silent on the issue, leaving many to question the government's intentions.
