With new electoral boundaries drawn and troops being ordered to gear up for an early election, once-bitter rivals Mahathir Mohamad and jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim were recently captured in an awkward photo opp.With each passing day, more signs are pointing to an early general election in Malaysia, one that Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition is bound to win. However, it is a vote he must call within the next year, or the window of opportunity will slam shut.Much has been written about Najib's sinking global reputation amid financial debacles at the 1 Malaysia Development (1MDB) dtate fund. However, for him and his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government, all that matters is Malaysia's 13 million voters.So far, signals point to an election in the second half of next year. Najib is also leaning heavily towards China in the government's high-speed rail project that will link Kuala Lumpur with Singapore.Although Najib does not have to call for a national election until mid-2018, he cannot be assured that all the elements will remain in his favour for long.The economic environment will be far more uncertain in 2018 and potential trouble spots, such as the country's overheated property sector and concerns over the high levels of household debt, could boil over.Najib also needs to secure a fresh mandate quickly to consolidate his hold on power after the severe mauling his reputation has taken both at home and abroad over the 1MDB fiasco.For the moment, the premier's clout stems from the support of Umno's warlords because of his ability to keep the party's patronage machine humming.But another major scandal or an international censure similar to the recent asset forfeiture action by the United States Department of Justice could force a rethink among the party's rank-and-file and cast Najib as a liability to the party ahead of a general vote.There are growing tensions between the supporters of Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Zahid Hamidi, who is also Umno's deputy president, and the party's third-most senior leader, Najib's cousin Hishamuddin Hussien, which could undermine the party's unity and expose Umno to internal sabotage during the polls.Najib's stranglehold over Umno has helped him stay in power throughout the 1MDB debacle. Putting a lid on dissent in the party ahead of the next general election will determine how long he stays in office.

Source: The Nation Bangkok September 21, 2016 18:00 UTC