The People's Progressive Party (PPP) is happy that it won't be left out of the 11 th general election as it is likely to be offered one of the two parliamentary seat it had requested.

This is the first time the party is being considered for a seat by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in a general election.

Its best performance was in the 1969 general election when it won eight parliamentary and 18 state seats, and almost formed the Perak state government.

Then it joined the BN in 1973. It performed dismally in the elections the following year and only managed to retain one parliamentary and two state seats.

Contacted today, PPP president M Kayveas said the assurance by Prime Minister and BN chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was a good sign for the party.

"We asked for at least two parliamentary seats in Perak and Pahang," he said.

He is expecting a seat in Perak since it has "always been my political base".

PM's assurance

"I'm very happy with the PM's assurance that we (the PPP) will not be left out of this general election," said the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

Its request for seven state seats - one each in Penang, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor - is pending a final decision by the PM.

"I don't know if we will get any at the state level but let's wait for the announcement on the seat allocation. It should be sometime next week."

Kayveas said the party was "all geared up and ready to go" for the general election.

The election fever is rising steadily, fueled by strong speculation of a snap poll by March end.

The machinery of both the ruling BN and opposition parties have swung into action in anticipation of the dissolution of Parliament sometime next week.

Today, national news agency Bernama quoted Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as saying that the allocation of seats was "nearing completion".

The Election Commission conducted a two-hour briefing for its officers and staff in Putrajaya today.

According to Bernama , the briefing was in conjunction with the commission's 'meet-the-clients day' today.

A crowd of people interested in the amendments to the election laws attended the briefing.