KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said that the next general election (GE15) will take place before the end of the year.

Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said that the coalition would not allow Pakatan Harapan (PH) and other Opposition parties to continue tarring Umno’s image and reputation.

He added that the Opposition are also afraid that it will lose if GE15 was to be held during the upcoming monsoon season; hence, the reason why they are so against it being held at the end of this year.

"That is why they need the time to incite people to not vote for BN. PH’s tour is still on its way and is expected to end in February next year.

"BN will not give any chances to PH and BN’s political enemies to continue to badmouth BN during such tours until next year,” he said.

Zahid had previously said that BN would be willing to wade through floodwaters to campaign for GE15 if it was held during the monsoon season.

His comments drew flak from leaders of Opposition parties, namely PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, Muda president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

Zahid also said that PH’s manifesto was a populist move and full of empty promises, adding that BN would only make realistic promises based on the country’s current economic situation.

"The manifesto that they put forward was not carried out and not considered ‘scripture’. They are only pushing this over-the-top manifesto in order to pull votes to win. But BN, as a stable and widely experienced political bloc, is not populist nor does it sell hope like PH.

"What we can promise is a realistic commitment that can be achieved based on the current economic situation. BN can be populist and promise free tolls, free education, such as PH’s false manifesto. But BN is not like that,” he said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob hinted that GE15 would be held as soon as possible during his speech at the launch of the BN Youth machinery in Kuala Lumpur.

He is also reported to have repeated his promise to immediately discuss the dissolution of Parliament with the party’s so-called "Top Five”.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan also expressed his optimism at Ismail Sabri’s speech, saying that Umno is confident that GE15 will be held between October and December this year.

Ahmad Maslan also confirmed that Umno’s "Top Five: would be meeting on September 30 to discuss the dissolution of Parliament and GE15.

Umno’s "Top Five” refers to Ahmad Zahid himself, deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and three vice-presidents, namely Ismail Sabri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Talk of GE15 has been swirling as Ismail Sabri is under increasing pressure from his party to call the national polls.

These rumours were further enforced when Ismail Sabri announced that his Cabinet would be tabling Budget 2023 three weeks earlier, on October 7, with analysts predicting that he would dissolve Parliament the following day.