Malaysia ready for snap polls: PM

Abdullah said the top priority of the multi-racial National Front coalition now was to "campaign to get as many supporters as possible," as the opposition Islamic Party (PAS) expressed confidence of capturing four more states in upcoming polls.

Asked after chairing his first meeting of the National Front Supreme Council if the coalition is prepared to face an election in the next two months, he said: "Anytime."

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"Even if next week I dissolve parliament and the Election Commission announces the election dates, we can do it. We must be ready anytime. We must be in a state of preparedness."

Elections are not due until the end of 2004 but Abdullah has signalled at the weekend that polls could be called early as he sought to win his own mandate from voters after taking over last Friday from Mahathir Mohamad, who retired after 22 years in power.

A snap election will also allow his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the linchpin of the coalition, to capitalise on the high and generally positive profile generated by Mahathir's retirement.

UMNO faces a tough challenge for the votes of the country's Muslim majority from the hardline PAS, which wants to turn moderate Malaysia into an Islamic state complete with punishments such as amputations and stoning to death.

In the last election in 1999, PAS made major dents into UMNO's powerbase, tripling its parliamentary seats and taking control in a second of the country's 13 states.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said Friday he was confident the party, which now rules eastern Kelantan and Terengganu states, can also wrest control of Perlis and Kedah in the north as well as central Pahang and Selangor with cooperation from its allies.

PAS' confidence was based on feedback obtained by its election machinery, he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.