KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — The chances of the general elections being called this year are very slim, Gerakan said.

Local daily New Straits Times quoted party president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong as saying that the 14th general elections will most likely be held early 2018 instead of the third quarter this year.

"There are a lot of indications that the general elections may not be held this year, but we will continue to do our work on the ground,” he was reported saying in a press conference yesterday.

The plantation industries and commodities minister from the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party however stressed that Gerakan is already prepared for the elections and has even picked 45 potential candidates.

"All of our 45 coordinators (potential candidates) have been identified and they will be given multimedia training.

"We will continue with our services and we will organise (the machinery) on the ground,” Mah said.

There have been rumours that the general elections might be called later this year after the SEA Games and the October 27 Budget 2018 announcement.