PAKATAN Harapan (PH) should rethink its decision to hold state elections separate from the general election, as announced recently.
No doubt, PH states did announce that they will hold their elections next year but surely, this announcement was made in the context of avoiding a general election in the midst of possible floods at the end of this year.
But now that the federal government has forced us into a general election where the rakyat have no choice but to come out to vote, despite the real possibility of adverse weather conditions, should these PH states burden the rakyat more by insisting they come out to vote again next year in state elections?
I have been on the ground in Penang and know that the people do not want separate elections. Their wish to hold concurrent state and Parliament elections is overwhelming.
Let me make it very clear. PH is against the elections being held now and we have stated our reasons for this many times.
But we are forced to consider state elections now because of the selfish decision of the federal government in calling for parliamentary elections now.
This means that the rakyat have no choice but to come out to vote for MPs now.
So why not save the rakyat from further burden and separate elections costs, and hold state elections now as well?
The rakyat have to come out and vote for MPs now anyway. Why not vote for both state assemblymen and MPs as well?
The opposition will say that we have no principles by reneging on our decision to hold state elections next year.
But really, let’s ask ourselves who caused this?
There is nothing unprincipled in holding concurrent elections now as it is certainly in the interests of the rakyat.
I wish to appeal to the PH leadership to seriously consider holding simultaneous Parliament and state elections now in all its states as we will be stronger facing the opposition now.
The rakyat will understand that we are forced to do this as it was the federal government that forced the “flood elections” upon us in the first place. – The Vibes, October 14, 2022
Ramkarpal Singh is DAP’s national legal bureau chairman
