KUALA LUMPUR – The Pakatan Harapan (PH) has given a sharp hint that states under its control may not follow suit with the timing of a general election should it be called by the Umno-led federal government before it is legally due.
Its presidential council said that the governments of Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan will not move to dissolve their legislative assemblies until their terms expire.
Since the last general election – during which these states also held their polls – was held in May 2018, their five-year terms are only set to end in May next year.
“The Pakatan Harapan presidential council decided today that the governments of the states of Selangor, Penang dan Negri Sembilan that are administered by Pakatan Harapan will not advise that their respective state assemblies be dissolved until their terms end in 2023,” the council said in its statement.
“This decision has been made with due consideration to the economic situation which is still affecting the people due to the massive floods, Covid-19 pandemic, low incomes as well as cost of living that is rising steeply,” it said.
“The presidential council emphasises that the focus of all efforts at this time should be towards aiding the people and rejuvenating the economy.”
The statement was issued amid increasingly brash and strident calls coming especially from the ongoing Umno general assembly for the BN federal government to pave the way for the 15th general election fast.
Notably, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament earlier, stressing that Umno’s momentum to regain victory in the 15th general election should not be stifled.
The PH council’s statement was signed by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
In a related development, PAS earlier today also reiterated that there is no need to hold state elections in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah soon. All three states are under its control.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said that at the central level, the party has also decided not to dissolve the assemblies in the three states. He said that this would be the case even if a dissolution occurs at the parliamentary level to pave the way for the 15th general election in the near future.
The bold push for an early general election by BN comes in the wake of its resounding victory in the Johor election on March 12 and an equally convincing victory in Melaka in November last year.
The coalition also saw its grip on the country strengthened by the dominating performance of its ally Gabungan Parti Sarawak in the state polls there in December last year.
Prior to that, Umno made gains in Sabah with the help of allies in the September 2020 election there, going on to form the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) alliance to rule the state.
More recently, BN’s supporters and members reportedly shouted “Bubar! Bubar! Bubar!” (dissolve, dissolve, dissolve) in the presence of Ismail Sabri at the coalition’s operations centre in Johor Baru on the night it began receiving confirmation of its triumph in Johor, sweeping 40 of the 56 seats up for grabs. – The Vibes, March 17, 2022
