Renewed calls for snap polls after 'Anwar move'

 

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's announcement today claiming that he now commands the majority support in parliament to form a new government has led to renewed calls for a snap general election.

Among them was BN secretary-general Annuar Musa, who said the power to choose should be returned to the voters.

"No way Anwar is going to be the prime minister no matter how many MPs and from which party are supporting him.

"Let us first settle the Sabah state election, and then we should let the rakyat make their choice once and for all. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong should call for a snap general election," he said on Twitter.

The call by Annuar came only hours after he posted on Twitter a series of bemused emojis in response to a tweet about Anwar's annoucement, seemingly trolling the opposition chief.

Annuar, who is Ketereh MP and part of the Perikatan Nasional cabinet led by Muhyiddin Yassin, had previously made a similar call in March. The PN government was barely two-weeks old then.

He had said that the dissolution of parliament would hopefully open the 'front door' for PN, amidst accusations that it was a backdoor government. However, Annuar had denied that he was calling for immediate dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat.

Another politician who called for a snap election was Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who is also from BN.

He had told Malaysiakini earlier today that a fresh election would be the best solution for the country's political conundrum.

'Prove numbers in parliament'

Meanwhile, PAS, which is also a part of PN government, sings a different tune.

Its president Abdul Hadi Awang in a statement said that all 18 PAS parliamentarians fully support Muhyiddin's leadership, and said that the latter is still the legitimate premier as per the Federal Constitution.

"At the same time, PAS will continue to strengthen the friendship in Muafakat Nasional and PN.

"PAS also calls for all rakyat to come together in supporting the PN government's effort to handle the Covid-19 pandemic and improve the country's economy," he said.

Muafakat Nasional is a political pact that consists of PAS, Umno and Bersatu.

Meanwhile, former Bersatu supreme council member Rais Yatim called for Anwar to prove his numbers in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said parliament is the place for Anwar to assert his claim of having the majority support.

"The sudden upsurge of Anwar's voltage in asserting his attainment of majority support is best tested in parliament, not via statutory declarations (SD) that are open to non-validity issues," Rais tweeted.

A similar call was made by veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (above), who is Gua Musang MP.

He said MPs should not act outside the august house, regardless of whether they have SDs from more than half of MPs.

"All of these are meaningless. Whether a leader falls from power or not is determined in the Dewan Rakyat by members who are present and cast their votes, which cannot be done through a proxy, representative or an SD.

"The prime minister must seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, if he loses majority support, to tender his resignation and seeks the king's permission to hold a fresh election or appoint another MP whom the king thinks has the majority support.

"This is up to the Agong. MPs cannot just do anything they like, even though they claim they have enough support and wanting to form a government without being invited by the Agong. That is how it should be done," he said. - Mkini