The Parliament will be dissolved on Friday and polling day has been fixed for Sunday, March 21, according to sources close to the government.

They said the Election Commission - which is tasked with the impartial management of free and fair elections - is expected to call for the nominations of candidates to be made on Saturday, March 13.

This would mean that the campaign period will last for only eight days, making it the shortest in Malaysian history.

It will be one day shorter than the 1999 general election (nine days), and two days shorter than the 1995 general election (10 days).

Election campaign officially kicks off on nomination day and ends at midnight on the eve of polling day.

Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday told New Straits Times that there was no reason for a longer duration when asked about the length of the campaign period.

The campaign period will coincide with a one-week school break scheduled to begin from March 13 to 21. Most polling centres will be stationed at government schools.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Mohamed Bakri Omar has announced that his personnel's annual leave will be frozen in view of the general election.

Cannot delay

Parliament is due to began its first sitting of the year on Monday, March 8 should there be no announcement of dissolution by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

When contacted, PAS MP for Tumpat Kamaruddin Jaafar ( left ) believed that the government would not delay any longer in going to the polls.

"The BN has geared-up its tempo and created an election mood. If it does not dissolve the Parliament by this week, the BN election machinery would be badly affected," he said.

According to his colleague, Kubang Kerian MP Husam Musa, the latest dissolution date should be on Friday.

Otherwise, he said, parliamentarians in Sabah and Sarawak would be flying to Kuala Lumpur over the weekend to attend the Parliament sitting.

However, Husam ( right ) said he had not book his flight ticket as he was confident that Parliament would be dissolved this week.

"I believe that the fifth prime minister will dissolve the Parliament on Friday. It is also good for him (Abdullah) to do it on Friday since it could portray him as a good Muslim leader," he told malaysiakini .

Friday 'most reasonable'

However, when contacted, two Sarawak-based MPs said they were "fully prepared" to attend the Parliament sitting on Monday.

"I will come, the Parliament has not been dissolved yet," said vocal Batang Lupar MP, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar ( left ) from the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Sarawak (PBB).

The PBB supreme council member said he had booked his ticket to fly to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Wan Junaidi also added that since the EC has not completed its state-level briefings, it gave the impression that the election would not be called so soon.

"No matter what, we are on stand by. When the prime minister visited Kuching about two weeks ago, he told us the election could be within a week or two - or it would be on hold for some time to come," he added.

Dewan Rakyat's deputy speaker Lim Si Cheng said he felt strongly that the dissolution would be called soon despite that he had yet to receive any instruction on the matter.

Lim told malaysiakini that Friday is the "most reasonable and likely" date since parliamentarians should be informed on the dissolution in advance in order to avoid them having to travel to attend the sitting.

The deputy speaker, who is also MCA central committee member, added that there would be further hints regarding the polls after tomorrow's cabinet meeting since the ministers too are eager to find out when the general election will be called.