KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) performance in the coming six state elections will have no impact on the unity government’s position, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, he said he was confident in the federal government’s two-thirds majority in Parliament.
“There will be some pressure (if the opposition does well in the state polls). But it will not affect the position of the federal government in any way,” he told Al-Jazeera’s 101 East programme in a video interview on his government’s six months in power since the general elections last November.
The prime minister, who is also the Tambun MP, was asked about the possibility PN would push for a no-confidence vote if it performs well in the state polls.
The six states due to hold elections – speculated to be in August – are the PN-led states of Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, and Pakatan Harapan (PH) states of Penang, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan.
Kelantan confirmed the dissolution of its legislative assembly on June 22, while Kedah, Penang, and Selangor also expect to dissolve theirs before the end of this month pending consent from their state rulers.
The unpredictability of the state polls is compounded by new and first-time voters, and how much PN’s “green wave” impact in the November general elections will continue to influence Malay-Muslim voters after six months of federal rule by Anwar’s government, which is working on restructuring subsidies to better target the B40 group.
When asked by Al-Jazeera about attempts by rivals to take over the government before the next general election, which is only due in 2027, Anwar said such attempts were because his opponents were facing corruption trials.
“What choice do they have? They will try to unseat us to save themselves. But there are no serious challenges. We’ve got a two-thirds majority.” – The Vibes, June 16, 2023
