The defence services Asia (DSA) event would have been a bane for the Malaysian government in its plans to call for polls in 2018, but this year, it is all about PM Najib Razak.
Whether he calls for the polls in March or later, depends on his beliefs that the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN) will do better than 2008 and 2013.
There is also the belief that the elections will be held on the 18-18 date. March 18, which falls during the weekend, is said to be the date for the elections. 18th March 2018 could be the date for the polls, says some. “Unless Najib is uncertain.”
The news is out the elections will be held between 17 March and 24th March. Both are Saturdays. The school holidays fall within those dates:
| School Holidays | Starts | Finishes |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 Holidays | 16 Mar 2018 (Fri) | 24 Mar 2018 (Sat) |
But if there are further delays and no elections in March this year, it would likely be held before the Haj. Najib himself gave the hint that the 14th General Elections will be held before the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
At one point, some analysts said the PM would not call for polls by March. They said the government would depend largely on some juicy contracts that would be signed during the Defense Services Asia (DSA) event to be held between the 16 – 19 APRIL 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.
But a source said this year’s DSA will not see much buying from the Malaysian side, despite the fact this year is the event’s 30th anniversary and it will have a big bash under “30 YEARS IN THE DEFENCE SHOW BUSINESS” banner.