SUBANG JAYA – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reminded Umno that the decision to dissolve Parliament rests solely on the prime minister and that the party does not have the parliamentary majority to call the 15th general election (GE15).
As such, Umno does not have the right to push for elections even though Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a member and vice-president of the party, Anwar added.
“How many MPs does Umno have (in parliament)? Thirty-eight. In our system, 38 parliamentarians cannot force the decision (to call for dissolution),” the PKR president said today.
“The decision is the prerogative of the prime minister, if the prime minister has the strength to act rationally as a prime minister.”
Anwar said this during a brief doorstop interview with reporters after launching his latest book, SCRIPT for a Better Malaysia: An Empowering Vision and Policy Framework for Action, at the Dorsett Grand Subang here this afternoon.
On Friday night after Umno’s Supreme Council meeting, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the party had agreed that Ismail Sabri would present a suitable date to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament so that GE15 can be held this year.
The Supreme Council’s decision also follows the meeting of the Umno “top five” leadership that includes Ismail Sabri since he is party vice-president.
The decision follows months of pressure on the prime minister from Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for polls to be held this year. Zahid is facing ongoing court cases for corruption.
On his book launched today, Anwar said that although it explored his agenda for reform, it was not specifically a new manifesto for Pakatan Harapan going into GE15.
The book’s title, “SCRIPT” is an abbreviation for “Sustainability, Care and Compassion, Respect, Innovation, Prosperity and Trust”. It is published by think tanks Institut Darul Ehsan, and The Centre for Postnormal Policy & Futures Studies.
Asked whether PH will be supporting Budget 2023 which will be tabled this Friday (October 7), Anwar said the opposition would consider the matter, and that he would personally table his own motions on the economy and social issues in the parliamentary session that convenes tomorrow.
“We are examining it and will emphasise governance and corruption as well as dubious projects, including the procurement of medical supplies which includes vaccines, (and) the DNB (Digital Nasional Berhad) contracts that until now have yet to show any transparency.”
“I will bring my own motions to debate the costs of goods and living. I have written to the prime minister, and I will bring the motions regardless of whether he would want to table any (motion).”
“(It will) be about the costs of living and the depreciation of the ringgit which has caused hardships to the people.” – The Vibes, October 2, 2022
