Prime Minister Najib Razak said today the eagerness of the opposition parties to make promises is seen more as an attempt to fish for votes in the next general election.

He said the opposition parties would be making more and more promises when they feel that the general election is near at hand.

"They will make all kinds of promises and the nearer the general election, the more their promises," he told reporters after the presentation of Aidilfitri delicacies to the armed forces in Pekan today.

Najib was asked to comment on the eagerness of the opposition parties to make promises, the latest being a statement by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim that PKR had set the target of a minimum RM4,000 income per household within the first five years of PKR's federal administration.

Najib said the people should be wise enough to evaluate the promises to determine whether they were real or mere fantasies.

"In a democratic system, there is no antidote (to such promises) except the capability of the people to evaluate them in a matured and rational manner.

"These (promises) are something normal. Even in the last general election, all kinds of promises were made. Now, they have added on their promises.

"That is why we (the BN government) have our realistic plans, such as the New Economic Model, the National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) and so on, which are supported with facts and in-depth studies," he said.

Will GE be next year?

The prime minister said the opposition parties had never considered whether they would be able to implement their promises because the more important thing for them is to get the people's support to come to power.

"For them, it is not important (to implement a promise). As they are obsessed with the desire to come to power, they are prepared to make any kind of promise, regardless of whether it is realistic and can be implemented.

"Most importantly, they make a promise which makes the people happy to support them. This is merely their political strategy.

Asked whether the eagerness of the opposition parties to make promises now was a sign that the (13th) next general election would be called next year, Najib said: "Wallahualam (only God knows best)."

Najib then attended an event where he stirred the "bubur lambuk" and gave away free to the people the rice porridge with herbs.

The event was organised by the Kosmo! daily, Wanita Umno and several non-governmental organisations at the Dataran Pekan.

- Bernama