THE confusion on two separate elections is burdening the rakyat. Many have questioned why the need to have separate polls, that is the 15th general election (GE15) and state elections.
Ever since the caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10 paving the way for elections, Pakatan Harapan states are not in favour of dissolving their respective state assemblies to make way for the polls which must be held within 60 days.
DAP national legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh has urged Pakatan-led states to consider dissolving the state assemblies to not burden the rakyat by having two separate polls.
“We are forced to consider state elections now because of the selfish decision of the federal government in calling for parliamentary elections.
“As the rakyat have to come out and vote for MPs anyway, why not vote for both state assemblymen and MPs as well?” he reportedly said in an FMT report today (Oct 14).
Adding to his reasoning, Ramkarpal said he has gone to the grassroots and the people are not in favour of separate elections.
“There is nothing unprincipled in holding concurrent elections now as it is certainly in the interest of the rakyat. The rakyat will understand that we are forced to do this as it was the federal government which forced GE15 upon us in the first place,” he expressed.
Previously, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng called Pakatan to be open to having parliamentary and state elections separately.
Selangor is in a limbo after its Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah wanted the state government to complete its full-term.
The sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani on the other hand clarified that the MB had never sought royal consent to dissolve the state assembly during his audience on Oct 11.
The other Opposition state, Negri Sembilan announced that it will hold its state elections next year whilst awaiting Pakatan’s presidential council’s decision.
The elections come at a time where the country is facing a monsoon season with the likelihood of floods. The election timing itself is not of convenience to the rakyat who are already worried about floods.
Equally, having two separate elections is of no help to Malaysians, however the cruciality of not bowing to the election demand of the Barisan Nasional caretaker Government is also of importance. Hence, maintaining the state elections next year is looked upon as the right thing to do, in stopping the BN agenda of early polls to save its leaders from corruption charges. – Oct 14, 2022
Main photo credit: The Star Online
