So Malaysia is due to have a general election next year.

But when will it be held? One of the few hints we have was from Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said it would be held after September 2017. Which isn't very specific.

And there is some talk that he may call for a rare monsoon season election.

The ruling Barisan Nasional’s five-year term ends on June 24 next year and a general election must be held within 60 days after Parliament is dissolved.

The prerogative of dissolving Parliament and calling for a GE lies with PM Najib Razak himself, but he hasn't done so yet.

While Najib's been going around the country making speeches that sound suspiciously like campaign rallies -- like this one about being responsible for exporting durians to China -- the opposition have not been idle.

The Doctor returns

Former PM Mahathir Mohamad has formed a new party, the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Malaysian United Indigenous Party, or PPBM) to take on Najib. But he hasn't stopped there.

Mahathir's allied himself with various other opposition parties, one of which is the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party). It's led by Wan Azizah Wan Ismail -- the wife of Mahathir's former DPM Anwar Ibrahim. Together, they've formed a large coalition, called the Pakatan Harapan (Pact of Hope or PH).

While the PH's registration as a political party is still under official consideration, it is expected to act as the government's biggest opponent come the next election.

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PH makes a pledge

On Oct. 31, PH made a bold move by giving a press conference and pledging to clean up corruption, with both Mahathir and Wan Azizah speaking. Their promises include:

• Arresting "Malaysia Official 1" and other "sharks".
• Set up a royal commission inquiry to investigate the misappropriate of funds in the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Felda.
• Set up an independent body to return the asset and people's money stolen and misappropriate through corruption.
• To make the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission an independent body that reports directly to Parliament.
• To eliminate direct negotiations for government contracts.

For those who haven't heard, "Malaysia Official 1" was the term used in a US Department of Justice lawsuit to recover more than US$1 billion worth of assets embezzled from 1MDB.

That official? Confirmed as Najib himself by a Malaysian federal minister.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="497"] Gif from Gamezone.[/caption]

Najib jabs at Mahathir

On the same day, Najib made his own jab at Mahathir, saying that the former PM was spreading "fake news" by constantly calling Malaysia one of the most corrupt countries in the world and that its economy was weak.

"He has tried every method to spread fake news to any available media outlets willing to report his story for his own selfish political gain. When challenged to produce any evidence on his allegations, he is unable to do so."

Najib was speaking at a United Nations Association Malaysia dinner. He added that according to the 2016 study done by Transparency International, Malaysia actually placed 55 out of 176 countries for corruption (Singapore was 7th).

Najib then defended his record, citing the World Bank, who said that the Malaysian economy was progressing from a "position of strength". He added that as the federal government had allowed anti-government demonstrations to take place, it showed that Malaysia was "not a dictatorship."

Just a day earlier, Najib had alluded to Mahathir's trip to the US in 2002 as an outcome of intense lobbying, where he paid millions of ringgit to secure an appointment with Bush during his tenure as US president. These allegations have been denied by Mahathir.

With the election drawing near, it seems certain that there are many twists in the tale still to come. Will PH be allowed to register as an official political party? When will Najib dissolve Parliament?

Until he does, everything's up in the air, and you can expect more back-and-forth sniping between the PM and the former PM.

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Top image from Florian Gaertner and Mukhriz Hazim via Getty Images.

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