Prime Minister Najib Razak has no choice but to call for snap elections in January, not for the sake of the rakyat, but for his own political survival, said DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh.

He added that the knives are already out for Najib, one indication being a book from those within his own party, which disparages him.

najib abdul razak in perth chogm 1 The newly released book , Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib (Najib's Mistakes), accuses Najib ( left ) of failure as Umno president and as prime minister, and calls on him to "sacrifice himself and resign" before the country heads to the 13th general election.

It is reportedly circulating within Umno ahead of the party's annual general assembly at the end of this month.

Karpal also pointed out that pressure is mounting against Najib to the extent that a dissident group of senior BN leaders have formed the Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah), led by Gua Musang MP and former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Amanah describes itself as an independent NGO that voices the concerns of the people, even if they are against the current administration.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the general election is around the corner... I expect it to be around January," Karpal said in a press conference yesterday in conjunction with his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit.

Speculation is rife that Najib would call for the 13th general polls in the first quarter of next year although it is not due until 2013.

No to hudud

Karpal also advised PAS to stop insisting on implementing hudud as it would be a "negative factor" against Pakatan in the looming polls.

He was responding to a report in The Star which quoted state executive councillor Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah as saying that PAS had every right to implement hudud as the Kelantan assembly had passed it in 1993.

The DAP strongman said PAS should not scuttle the opportunity for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya as the ground currently favoured the coalition.

He reiterated yet again that DAP would ensure that PAS does not install Muslim law, either in Kelantan or the country.

NONE Karpal ( right ) was also asked to respond on Razaleigh's recent statement that elections should take place after Najib carries out his promises of reform within the country.

The Bukit Gelugor MP responded by taking a swipe at him.

"Razaleigh is living in the world of his own. He could have carried on with Semangat 46 but instead returned to BN. He is not fit and proper to become PM because he is very fickle in his political stance."

Karpal said that in the late 1980s, Razaleigh, in his time with Semangat 46, was most qualified to be PM as he had the support of DAP and PAS.

However, Razaleigh fell into former premier's Mahathir Mohamad's trap and returned to Umno as he thought he would be re-appointed as finance minister, Karpal added.

He thought that Razaleigh, in his stint as finance minister, did do a good job. "He was of good character and no baggage, but he is not fit (to be PM) as he changes his stand," said Karpal, referring to the time when Razaleigh worked with PAS but later betrayed the party to return to Umno.

"Later, he was betrayed by his own people - like Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim and Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Sabery Cheek - who now have taken up positions in the government," remarked Karpal.