PASIR SALAK – Umno is not that desperate that it will push for a snap 15th general election (GE15), including in August, if the Covid-19 situation is not good, said its election director Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.
He said the party placed the interests of the people first, and would not chase positions to the detriment of public health.
“If there still is a high number of Covid-19 cases during August, we definitely will not push for GE15 to be called. Umno leaders are not brainless. We don’t want to only chase or be hungry for positions.
“We take note of the Covid-19 situation. We just hope that Parliament will be dissolved in August if the situation allows. But if the cases are high, numbering in the thousands, we will reconsider the right time to hold GE15.
“We will do it when the time comes. How can we cross the bridge if we haven’t come to it yet?. We have to abide by the Covid-19 situation,” said the Pasir Salak MP when giving assistance to needy groups at Dewan Pekan Rabu, Chenderong Balai here today.
In January, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported as saying that the party was confident that the Election Commission (EC) would set standard operating procedures if a snap election was called.
He had said that more than 30 countries, including the United States, had held general elections even though they had to contend with the pandemic.
Meanwhile, at the Umno general assembly in March, Umno had demanded that GE15 be held after the emergency period ends on August 1, or at an earlier date if the emergency is terminated earlier.
The linchpin of the Barisan Nasional coalition had also stated that BN would withdraw its support for the ruling Perikatan Nasional government when the emergency ends and go it alone in GE15.
The current term of Parliament only ends in 2023.
The country has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases of late with 4,519 new cases and 25 deaths reported today.
This brings cumulative cases to 436,944, while the death toll stands at 1,657. – Bernama, May 8, 2021
