Malaysia Chronicle: Najib, Muhyiddin hint at snap polls, Zahid .

Muhyiddin expected to challenge Najib for No. 1 post next yearKUALA LUMPUR - Umno appears to be ramping up preparations for snap polls, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announcing today that he will enter on a countrywide tour to receive grassroots members next year. The Umno president, together with his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, will enter on the state-by-state tour beginning early next year to gauge public funding for the party.

They will also suffer with Umno division leaders and all 20,243 branch leaders. Muhyiddin had earlier hinted at the theory of snap polls being called in "a few months" in his winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly today. "I don`t know when the prime minister will ring for the future general election, but we all acknowledge that there are but a few months left," he said.

Najib non-committal

Playing his cards close to his chest, Najib however refused to say if the practice was aimed at laying the reason for an early general election, which some analysts say could have place in the low half of following year. "Though they can see in so many ways, it is crucial for us to see the people," he told reporters following his words here before this evening. "As I said, it can be taken in so many ways but I make my sequence of doing things," he said, when the motion was repeated.Zahid unconvinced Najib explained that he was not capable to go to the ground last year as the world economic crisis had forced him to focus on government work. "As our economic recovery appears to be strong and the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) has been formulated in detail. all our plans are set to shoot off now," he said. "So start from early next year, Tan Sri Muhyiddin and I will see each nation to have a see at local conditions," he said. Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, was unconvinced that snap polls would be called soon as he felt Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) still needed time to better their image. He added that the company nevertheless had to act on strengthening party unity and machinery before an election is called. - Malaysian Insider