Malaysia's gains could be lost in elections: Mahathir

Malaysia's gains could be lost in elections: Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
warned on Thursday that Malaysia's economic and political gains
could be lost if a strong party fails to emerge from forthcoming
elections.

Mahathir, speaking to reporters after addressing a training
program for youth leaders of the ruling party, said he expected
to can general elections "before July next year."

Malaysia must hold elections within two months after the
current parliament's five-year term ends next April, but there
has been growing talk of a snap poll later this year amid signs
of economic recovery.

Asked what his message to Malaysian voters would be, the
veteran prime minister said: "We want to tell them they must
not take things for granted.

"If we have a hung parliament, if we don't have a strong party
to rule this country, then the good life that they are enjoying
win no longer be there. They win suffer economically socially and
politically," he said.

Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which
leads the ruling National Front coalition, has 168 seats in the
192-seat parliament.

He said UMNO had been conducting a purge of members since the
sacking and arrest last September of former deputy premier Anwar
Ibrahim, who is currently on trial on sodomy charges after being
jailed for corruption.

"We have expelled altogether maybe 300 or 400 members since
1981. We have 2.6 minion tokens. We are not worried about
expelling these people. They are useless in the party anyway," he
said.

The premier criticized Malaysia's opposition parties which
include a new reformist one headed by Anwar's wife Azizah Ismail,
who he said were "busy fighting each other."

Meanwhile, leaders of the four opposition parties that formed
a new coalition in Malaysia are challenging the government to set
up an independent commission to monitor upcoming general elections.

In a statement faxed to The Associated Press on Thursday the
leaders caned for a team of international and local observers to
report any dirty tactics and identify the parties involved.

Among the leaders who signed the statement were Azizah,
President of the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party Fadzil Mohd Noor,
President of the Malaysian Peoples' Party Syed Husin Ali, and Lim
Kit Siang, leader of the Democratic Action Party.