KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Annuar Musa has rubbished a report claiming cabinet members advised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to hold the general election latest by October, when inflation will supposedly peak.
Describing it as fake news, the communications and multimedia minister also dismissed any suggestion that the cabinet discussed the election in its recent meetings.
“Fake! As the minister in charge of communications, I can answer briefly that the news is fake,” he told a press conference after launching the logo and theme for this year’s National Day and Malaysia Day here today.
“The prime minister meets the ministers every week to discuss national issues, but never over the election.”
He was asked to comment on a media report claiming that Ismail Sabri met with ministers recently to get their views on when best to hold national polls.
In an op-ed by Sin Chew Daily, it claimed that most ministers and deputies felt that the general election must be held latest by October, as the effect of global inflation would be fully felt by the end of the year.
The report mentioned that Annuar and Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim were among the cabinet members who disagreed with the suggestion.
Responding to the questions from the media, Annuar expressed bemusement that anyone can predict when inflation would peak.
“Come and see me, we’ll discuss, because I would love to learn from him. If he can identify which month inflation will peak just like moon sightings during Hari Raya, I want to learn from him.”
Ismail Sabri has been under pressure from his party leadership to move the election date forward to take advantage of a weakened opposition.
However, the prime minister had previously said that now is not a good time to conduct the polls amid spiralling cost of living and inflation.
There have been speculations that the cabinet meeting on Wednesday had discussed the general election. – The Vibes, July 1, 2022
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