Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been advised today to show sensitivity by not dissolving Parliament during the Chinese New Year period, which kicks off this Thursday and to continue for 15 days.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang called on Abdullah to fully respect Chinese New Year celebrations and not to call for general elections until after Chap Goh Mei which falls on Feb 21.

Chap Goh Mei represents the 15th and final day of the Lunar New Year period and is often referred to as the Chinese Valentine's Day where young unmarried women gather to toss tangerines into the sea.

lim kit siang 03 Lim reminded Abdullah of Umno’s “shocking display of insensitivity” when the ruling party held its general assembly last year during Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights.

“Umno leaders, branches and members would be the first to take offense if MIC, MCA, Gerakan or SUPP should hold their national delegates’ conferences on Hari Raya Aidilfitri,” said Lim.

“This insensitivity of the diverse and great cultures and religions which have found confluence in plural Malaysia should not be repeated by dissolving Parliament during the Chinese New Year.”

The general elections, which are not due until next year, are widely expected to be held in March with Abdullah announcing the dissolution of Parliament in the coming weeks.

Yesterday, the prime minister signaled that the elections would be called very soon when he told reporters that he had finally found the “inspiration” to go on the hustings.

The three Chinese leaders in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - MCA president Ong Ka Ting, Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon and SUPP president Dr George Chan - would be held responsible should elections be called before the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

“If Ka Ting, Tsu Koon and George Chan cannot even convince Abdullah on such a small though significant matter, what can Malaysians expect from them on larger and more important matters affecting the community, the state, the nation and future generations?”

DAP takes legal action against gov’t

Meanwhile, Lim yesterday filed a suit against the Election Commission and the government seeking a court order for the setting up of a caretaker government after the Parliament is dissolved.

The legal action is to get the court to declare the need for a caretaker government to replace the government of the day from the moment the Parliament is dissolved to after the general election.

“(With) a caretaker government (in place), cabinet ministers should not abuse government positions, machinery, resources and funds for any electioneering purposes for a political party or candidate,” said Lim.

According to Lim, then prime minister Indira Gandhi was disqualified as a member of parliament by the Indian court because she had used a state aircraft for party electioneering purposes.