Could, should GE15 be held this November?

KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the 14th parliamentary term poised to end only after the second half of next year, various parties have begun to question and even demand for the dissolution of Parliament, paving the way to the much-anticipated 15th general election (GE15).

Within the political sphere, a debate is being played out on when exactly GE15 should be held, with some calling for a date this year while others feel it should be conducted in 2023.

However, rumours are rife that GE15 could most likely be held in November as the Election Commission (EC) has intensified its preparations in recent days.

Commenting on the issue, political analysts expressed differing views when contacted by the Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics senior lecturer Mazlan Ali said it would not be possible for GE15 to be held this coming November as Umno’s internal politics shows many of its leaders seemingly contradicting party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“If Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob were to dissolve Parliament now, then there is a chance that he and several other leaders, who we observed to be in direct opposition to the party president, will not be fielded (in the election).

“As president, Zahid is well within his rights to decide who would contest in the election,’’ he said when contacted by Getaran.

Mazlan said that it would be difficult for Umno to woo the public and secure a mandate as it is being plagued by several issues including the rising cost of living.

He further explained that Umno may need more time to offer a stable government to the people leading up to GE15, as the results of the previous general election led to instability and several changes of government.

“I think Umno would want GE15 to be held after the 2023 Budget to show the capability of the party.

“If they do it in November, then Umno will face numerous issues which the opposition will take advantage of,’’ he said.

When asked about the EC’s supposed preparations for the general election, Mazlan simply explained that it was the standard process as the previous one was held over three years ago.

Political analyst Prof Awang Azman Awang Pawi opined that a general election could be held much earlier than November as that would give an advantage to political leaders to resolve several key issues.

This, he said, includes creating a stable government with a strong mandate and whose prime minister will be elected from the party with the most seats.

Moreover, he pointed out that a major benefit includes the ability to formulate clear government policies and not merely implement stop-gap measures.

“Malaysia needs all three factors in order to resolve the multitude of national issues.

“A medium- and long-term solution will only happen if there is a stable government, a respected leadership and clear and progressive economic policies,’’ he said.

Awang Azman also stressed that a general election should be held immediately for the government to avoid further pressure and demands from Perikatan Nasional (PN) as well as other parties.

This includes the demands from Sarawak for the federal government to fulfil their terms under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963.

“All this happens when the federal political leadership seems weak, unstable and plagued with uncertainty.

“This is more obvious when the PN government formed by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin agreed to fulfil the sales and services tax of almost RM3 billion to Sarawak, as a means to garner their support for PN. Shortly after that, the CEO of Petronas resigned.

“However, Sarawak’s action is based on ethnonationalist politics and in tandem with the spirit of Malaysia Agreement 1963 that was resubmitted due to the federal government’s weakened position and dependence on Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) support to stabilise the PN government led by Ismail Sabri,’’ he said.

Awang Azman further explained that Ismail Sabri surely wanted to consolidate support from Sarawak to prevent the collapse of the government as the agreement with PH and PN will expire at the end of this month.

“Ismail Sabri is also being pressured by his party to hold the GE after the budget this October,” he said.

At the same time, Awang Azman said the situation is made worse due to the supposed agreement that Ismail Sabri had signed with Bersatu on the appointment of the deputy prime minister post. – The Vibes, July 12, 2022