KUALA LUMPUR – Melaka Governor Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam was rash to dissolve the state assembly, said state Pakatan Harapan chief Adly Zahari.
Adly said he was of the view that the governor should not have dissolved the state assembly before seeking opinions from the majority of the assemblymen no longer supporting the Umno state government.
“The state PH leadership thinks it is not proper for the chief minister, who no longer has majority support, to advise the governor to dissolve Melaka’s 14th state assembly.
“The governor also should not hurry to dissolve the state assembly before meeting the majority of the reps no longer with the government,” he said.
In a press conference yesterday, state assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said Melaka will face a snap election in 60 days from yesterday after Ali dissolved the state assembly effective Monday.
Rauf said the dissolution proclamation was gazetted yesterday.
He said this follows a letter sent by outgoing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali to the governor informing that four assemblymen withdrew their support for the state leadership.
The four are Umno’s Datuk Seri Idris Haron and Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, independent assemblyman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee, and Bersatu’s Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad.
Adly added that Rauf’s announcement yesterday that the current state government would be a caretaker until the next election is confusing.
“We think it’s inappropriate for someone (Sulaiman) who has lost support to be allowed to be the caretaker government’s chief.
“With what happened on March 2, 2020 as the precedent case, when I lost majority support as the chief minister, the administrative duties of the state government were entrusted to the state secretary until the new chief minister was appointed,” he said.
He added that the state PH leadership will refer this matter to the court to determine the legitimacy of the caretaker government.
‘An emergency declaration would trigger negative perceptions’
Adly, who is also Amanah’s Bukit Katil assemblyman, said a statewide emergency would be detrimental to the state’s people and economy if declared to avoid the election.
He said a proclamation of emergency will only trigger negative perceptions as the state has just transitioned to Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan and any plan to reintroduce restrictions will harm the tourism industry.
“We can’t go back to damage our economy. The emergency proclamation cannot be seen as a measure to care for the people as it can have a negative impact on them, especially in Melaka. We just reopened our doors to tourists.”
On the emergency proclamation in Sarawak, Adly said Melaka’s political turmoil should not be likened to Sarawak’s situation.
“Sarawak has political stability because the state government is chosen by the people. That’s different from what is going on in Melaka, which is governed by a minority government.
“For me, (a proclamation of emergency) should not be declared in Melaka because the state government has already lost the trust of the people.”
Previously, a proclamation of emergency was declared in Sarawak prior to the state election to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases. – The Vibes, October 6, 2021
