YANG di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has given his consent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s request to dissolve Parliament, paving the way for early polls amid the prospect of flooding and heavy rain.
Ismail also confirmed news reports that he had sought an audience with the King yesterday (Oct 9) afternoon to formally request that Parliament be dissolved through the instruments of dissolution.
“In line with Articles 40(2)(b) and 55(2) of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, acting with his discretion, consented to my request to dissolve the 14th Parliament today,” Ismail told a special briefing this afternoon.
As such, Ismail said he has instructed the heads of Government in each state (except for Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Johor) to take the necessary actions to dissolve their respective state assemblies in due course of time so that federal and state polls can be held at the same time.
The four states he mentioned had state elections in the immediate past (Sabah, September 2020; Sarawak, December 2021; Melaka, November 2021, and; Johor, March 2020).
Ismail also urged those states that have decided against holding state polls during GE15 – namely those led by Pakatan Harapan and PAS – to reconsider their decision.
“(State and federal polls) should be held concurrently to ensure that the public is not burdened (by having to exercise their democratic rights twice) and save costs,” he said.
As for the setting of dates for nominations and voting day itself as well as other related matters, the outgoing prime minister, who just two months ago completed one year in office, said this was up to the Elections Commission (EC) to decide on.
According to the constitution, snap elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament, meaning GE15 must take place by Dec 10, 2022, right smack in the monsoon season and when floods usually take place.
During the 13th and 14th General Elections (GE13 and GE14) held in 2013 and 2018, respectively, polls were held one month after Parliament’s dissolution.
Intense pressure
Ismail, who is also UMNO vice-president, has been under intense pressure from party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to dissolve Parliament for months now – despite the prospect of flooding during polls if GE15 is held in the next few weeks.
Ismail, meanwhile, expressed hope that with the dissolution of Parliament today, criticism against his Government for being a “back-door” or “shaky” one would finally come to an end.
This as the mandate to decide who will govern the nation has been returned to the people, more than two years after the Sheraton Move of 2020 saw the fall of the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan Government and the rise of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and subsequent Barisan Nasional (BN) administrations.
“I hope the rakyat uses the power they have to pick a Government that is able to continue the implementation of the Keluarga Malaysia Budget 2023, ensure political stability, restore and strengthen the economy and maintain harmony and unity among our multiracial, multireligious and multiethnic (society),” Ismail added.
The former Bera MP also thanked the Agong for his trust in him and the people for their support throughout his 14-month tenure as the country’s ninth prime minister.
Earlier in his 15-minute special briefing today, Ismail listed some of his achievements as prime minister, including navigating the country into a COVID-19 endemic stage and Malaysia being listed as the best in ASEAN in the fight against COVID-19.
He also pointed to the creation of new federal laws to outlaw party hopping and sexual harassment and amendments to uphold the position of Sabah and Sarawak, which he admitted took place as a result of the temporary political ceasefire with Pakatan. – Oct 10, 2022
