Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called early elections on March 8. This despite a slide in his National Front coalition’s popularity amid complaints about inflation, crime and ethnic tensions.
Badawi led his National Front (BN) coalition to a landslide victory in the last elections in 2004, but he admits this time it will be different. Dissatisfaction among the Indian minority over alleged discrimination is especially high this year and some 20,000 Indians held an anti-government demonstration in November last year. So why is Badawi calling the elections now in such unfavorable times?
His name is Anwar Ibrahim.
The former Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister is banned from Malaysian politics till April 08 due to his conviction in 1999 for corruption and sodomy after a highly controversial trial. A conviction no one, including people in the BN, believes in. Released in 2004, Anwar’s conviction is something the BN just want to forgets. The sympathy Anwar has is so high, no one has even accused Badawi of being afraid to face Anwar. In fact, they call Badawi smart.
I agree with them. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, but not facing Anwar is the smart thing to do. I hadn’t been too impressed with Badawi in his tenure as Malaysian PM but in avoiding Anwar; I think he made the right decision.
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