Riding on BN's landslide in Sarawak and victory at this month's twin by-elections, Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong forecasted the 14th general election will be held in 2017.

This, he said, is because the momentum of the people's support for BN has purportedly increased.

“The rakyat's support has increased. So it's advantageous to have early (elections)...

“I think the election would be next year. I don't think it will go down in 2018. I think,” the minister in the Prime Minister's Department told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

In the last general election, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak held off polls till the final year of the 12th parliament despite constant speculation of early polls.

Mah said the recent electoral victories have boosted the ruling party's morale.

The Chinese voters, widely considered to have polled against the ruling party in the last general election, have returned to BN, he claimed.

“I think (Chinese voters) are coming back. But we have many things to do,” he said.

'Please give us some seats'

Asked of Gerakan's hopes in its traditional power base Penang, Mah urged the state's voters to elect a few state representatives from his party to ensure effective checks and balance against the Pakatan Harapan state government.

He said owing to the party's zero representation in Penang, state exco Lim Hock Seng refused to debate with state Gerakan acting Youth chief Jason Loo on the undersea tunnel issue.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had previously said Loo is neither a MP nor state assemblyperson, hence he did not qualify to debate with the state's representatives.

Gerakan was then forced to send its secretary-general cum Johor Simpang Renggam MP Liang Teck Meng to debate against Lim, said Mah.

“I hope Penang voters would give a chance to Gerakan to win a few seats in Penang to check and balance against the state government,” he said.

Mah also slammed DAP, a leading coaliton partner in the Penang government, for allegedly not being consistent with the principle of checks and balances.

“I remember DAP in the Sarawak election said the state assembly must have checks and balance. But in Penang, they said Gerakan must win no seats.”

Gerakan had held Penang from 1969 until its defeat 39 years later in the 12th general election to the loose coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS. It lost all its parliamentary and state seats.

In the last general election, Gerakan failed to regain any seat in Penang.