SELANGOR Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has declared that Nov 18 (Friday) which is the eve of the 15th General Election (GE15) will be a state holiday.
He said the decision was made after considering voters working and residing in Selangor must travel to their respective hometowns to vote.
Amirudin further urged caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to declare a nationwide public holiday on the same day to encourage all Malaysians voting in their hometowns to cast their ballots on Nov 19.
“This (state holiday) applies to both public and private sectors in Selangor,” Amirudin told a media conference in Shah Alam.
He added that a gazette will be published by next Wednesday (Nov 16) to notify the public about the state government’s decision.
For the record, Amirudin who is also the PKR vice-president is set to engage in a five-cornered battle for the Gombak Parliamentary seat in the GE15 against incumbent and Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (Perikatan Nasional/PN), Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin (Barisan Nasional/BN), Datuk Dr Aziz Jamaludin Tahir (Pejuang) and Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (independent).
Thus far, only Perikatan Nasional (PN) has mooted the idea of a public holiday but on condition that it wins the GE15.
According to the coalition’s chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Nov 20 (Sunday) will be declared a public holiday for Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor while for other states, PN pledges to make Nov 21 (Monday) a public holiday.
“This will allow voters from other states to come out and cast their ballots without having to apply for holiday on Sunday or Monday,” he said during the launch of PN’s manifesto themed Prihatin, Bersih, Stabil (caring, clean, stable) on Sunday evening (Nov 6). – Nov 9, 2022
Main pic credit: The Star
