Those against early polls are trying to cling to power, says Zaid

 

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim said a fresh general election was ‘long overdue’ and should have been held in early 2020.

PETALING JAYA: The people who seek to delay a fresh general election are those who fear the will of the people and are trying to cling to power, according to Zaid Ibrahim, a former law minister.

He said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak had publicly voiced support for an early general election but had been met with resistance from critics who accused them of seeking power to clear themselves of court charges.

However, Zaid said an early general election should have been called soon after the Pakatan Harapan government fell in early 2020, to be replaced by the Muhyiddin Yassin-led Perikatan Nasional government.

“The country is desperately looking for leadership. If you don’t want a general election you use all sorts of excuses, like you declare an emergency, you say there are not enough vaccines yet, you blame the floods, Omicron,” he told FMT.

“With the country in distress, we have to bite the bullet and vote in a leader with majority support.

“It’s not for people to think that Umno leaders facing court judges are looking for an escape route – they might even be rejected. Why not have an early general election and show the people who are really thinking of the country?”.

Zaid said that there was “too much politicking going on”, and that reviving the economy could only be achieved when a stable government is in place.

“How long do we want to continue like this? Let’s get on with it, let’s go to the polls. There is no other way but to elect a government with a strong mandate.”

The current Parliament was elected in May 2018. Its term expires next year. However, there has been speculation of an early general election being called because there have been two changes of government since 2020. - FMT