Murmurs of early GE as Najib rallies party

Kuala Lumpur

THERE'S the whisper of an early general election (GE) in the air in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Najib Razak and senior officials of his ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) have used dozens of annual party events across the country in recent weeks to exhort members - the bulk of whom are ethnic Malays - to get out and meet potential voters, especially younger ones.

Amid repeated references to the next general election, it's raising speculation that Malaysians will head to the polls before the due date of mid-2018. Some senior Umno officials say it could even be as soon as next March.

Mr Najib, 63, has weathered more than a year of turmoil amid political attacks over a funding scandal that left foreign investors wondering at times if he would survive in the job. Getting an election win under his belt could dispel doubts about his ability to lead, while providing him with a new mandate to…