KUALA LUMPUR. Oct 9: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Saturday chaired a pre-election meeting of ruling party leaders and political sources predicted a snap general election next month, reports AFP.

Mahathir himself was silent about the date but said it could be held "any time" and his party was ready.

"We are all ready any time. When 1 say go. we go." Asia's longest-serving leader said.

He also announced a nationwide publicity "war" against what he called lies and slander by the opposition over the treatment of his former protege Anwar Ibrahim.

'They have accused the government of injecting Anwar with HIV virus. They make these allegations because they think Anwar had AIDS." he told a news conference after a meeting of the Supreme Council of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main party in the ruling National Front coalition.

The sacking of Anwar as deputy premier in September 1998 and his subsequent jailing has polarised the ethnic Malay community. The election Is expected to be Mahathir's toughest test in recent years although the National Front is certain to win.

Claims by Anwar's lawyers last month that the former UMNO rising star may have been poisoned with arsenic while in jail lent new momentum to the opposition. Mahathir again poured scorn on the claim Saturday, saying "this lie must be exposed."

He said a campaign involv-

ing leaflets and public meetings would be launched immediately. "It is important because there is an attempt to confuse the people and hate the government." he said.

Mahathir said protests sparked by the poisoning claim had provoked what he called riots. This damages the country’s image and obstructs economic recovery and this creates fear among foreign tourists and investors to come to Malaysia."

He also announced plans for a second nationwide tour, starting with his northern home state of Kedah, for two days from October 21.

Members of the ruling coalition said on the sidelines of Saturday's meeting that they expect a snap election next month and one source predicted a campaign period of just a week.

The source, who is close to UMNO headquarters but did not attend the meeting, said polls in the third week of November were "very likely."

Parliament will be dissolved after the budget presentation (on October 29). Campaign period will be just seven days," ne said, adding that leave for all ministers and senior party officials had been frozen for November. _

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. acting UMNO youth chief, said elections after the budget announcement were a possibility.

"Our target has always been after the budget. And going down on the ground now we see the people are more ready (for elections) even before the budget." he said after attending the Supreme Council meeting.