Malaysia sets date for general election

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announces the dissolution of the Parliament (Source: Xinhua)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Election Commission (EC) of Malaysia said on April 10 that the general election will be held on May 9, in what could be the toughest test of the ruling coalition's 61-year grip on power.

EC Chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah told the press that the commission has held a meeting and agreed that polls must be held within 60 days of the date of the Parliament’s dissolution.

Candidates will be nominated on April 28, meaning an 11-day campaign period, he added

On April 6, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of the Parliament to pave the way for the general election.

In the upcoming election, PM Najib is facing former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who quit the ruling coalition in 2016 and later joined the opposition alliance. If elected, Mahathir, 92, will become the oldest Prime Minister in the world.

More than 64,000 policemen will be deployed nationwide to ensure security during the election. Along with personnel mobilisation, the police also held training courses prior to the election.-VNA