Wee: GE16 may happen in 4 or 5 months

BATU PAHAT: MCA believes that the 16th General Election (GE16) will be held in four or five months' time.

Its president, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, said this was based on previous governments' practice of dissolving Parliament before the five-year term expires.

He said the government typically does not wait the full five-year term before holding an election.

"We can look at the 15 previous elections... what was the duration of administration for each term? I think a bit more or less than four years..

"So, I feel that at this time there are only a few months left, perhaps four or five months," he said when met after closing the Johor MCA Annual Convention in Yong Peng, near here, yesterday.

Wee said MCA was ready to face GE16, having strengthened its election machinery throughout the country.

"Chinese New Year falls in February (while) Ramadan starts on the second day of the lunar new year, so Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be in March.

"(If we) look at (the dates of) all these celebrations, there is no single (suitable) date, so we feel it can be held at any time. Unless the government wants to push it back until the end of the term.

"If they (the government) want to hold the general election earlier, it's not a problem. Go ahead. For me, we are always prepared.

"We can't wait until tomorrow to fight and only start preparing today. We can't do that.

"We must make preparations early. Whenever the election is to be held, we don't question it; that is indeed the government's prerogative," he said.