KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan (PH) Melaka says it will file a court injunction on the dissolution of the Melaka assembly through its state chairman, Adly Zahari.
The coalition’s presidential council said in a statement today that it fully supports the impending move by its Melaka chapter, seeing that a state election could endanger Malaysia’s pandemic recovery plan.
“This Wednesday, Pakatan Harapan Melaka, through Adly Zahari, will file a court injunction in relation to the dissolution of the state assembly.
“A certificate of urgency has also been filed to hasten this process, seeing that the notice to dissolve the state assembly was issued this morning,” said the joint statement signed by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Upko chief Datuk Seri Madius Tangau.
The opposition stressed that the dissolution of the assembly was done based on the wrong advice and that Governor Tun Mohd Ali Rustam should follow the federal precedent, in which the Agong first consults the majority bloc before coming to a decision.
Furthermore, the council said Datuk Seri Sulaiman Ali should not have been named caretaker chief minister, seeing that he lost majority support prior to the dissolution.
It also disagreed with the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to hold the state polls, which will begin with nomination day on November 8 and polling day on November 20, as well as allowing only the fully vaccinated to vote.
The statement said this decision could be seen to run contrary to Article 119 of the federal constitution regarding voter rights.
The opposition said even though it supports the vaccination drive, it should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against voters who have not yet received their second dose, and this decision could be illegal.
“We urge the EC to review this wrong position to ensure that all citizens who can vote under the federal constitution can vote if the Melaka election continues,” the statement said, adding the coalition will still prepare for any possibility, including contesting in the state polls.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported Adly as saying Melaka PH has an inkling on its choice of candidates for the upcoming state election.
He said Melaka PH has already made early preparations for the 15th General Election (GE15) and will now use those preparations for the state election.
“As it (state election) has come earlier, we will finalise (the list of candidates). Just wait another day or two. Whatever is decided at the state level will be then submitted to the next level,” he said today.
Despite describing the EC’s decision to hold the Melaka election as a ‘hasty’ move, he agreed with the presidential council in that PH is ready for any eventuality.
The EC today announced that November 20 has been set as polling day for the Melaka election. Nomination day is on November 8 and early polling will be held on November 16.
The Melaka assembly was dissolved on October 4 after four representatives withdrew their support for the leadership of Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
The four former assemblymen are Datuk Seri Idris Haron, Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad. – The Vibes, October 18, 2021
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