DAP firm on joint polls, wants Anwar to decide on electoral pact

 

As the Malacca state assembly is due to be dissolved within the next 10 months, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke is awaiting two key decisions from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to finalise the electoral strategy.

The first concerns whether the general and state elections should be held simultaneously. The second is whether to contest under the existing Madani government coalition framework.

Speaking to Malaysiakini on Monday, Loke noted that only the prime minister has the authority to advise the Agong to dissolve Parliament, and only he can coordinate whether coalition partners will continue their cooperation.

As such, he said the prime minister must make a definitive political judgment call.

"In the coming months, it will be time for the state assembly to be dissolved and for an election to be held.

"Therefore, the prime minister needs to decide whether we will continue with the ‘Madani government’ or ‘unity government’ model of cooperation.

"If that is the case, the prime minister will, of course, have to decide and take the necessary action to coordinate the elections so they are held simultaneously, both at the federal and state levels," said Loke.

Madani or free-for-all?

Loke added that a decision is also needed on the nature of their partnership.

"We need to decide on the form of cooperation - do we contest together and allocate parliamentary and state seats in an orderly manner, or do we go for a free-for-all?

"Whatever it is, I believe there must be a clear decision," said the transport minister.

He argued that it would be illogical for parties within the Madani government to govern together at the federal level while fighting one another at the state level.

"If we are no longer cooperating and want to fight, then let us fight simultaneously, or we cooperate all the way," he added.

In this regard, Loke stressed that Pakatan Harapan must also reach a clear decision as soon as possible.

"Harapan cannot be ambiguous. You must decide - it has to be one way or the other. If we choose to cooperate, then fight as a united front; if not, then let it be a free-for-all," he said.

In September last year, Loke publicly proposed holding concurrent federal and state elections, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia, to ensure better coordination in party preparations and to reduce costs.

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His position remains unchanged.

‘Maybe PKR won't accept it either’

During the interview, he said if federal and state elections are not held concurrently, there could be at least five rounds of polls within the next year or two, including in Malacca, Johor, Sarawak, the national polls, and the six state elections.

Such a packed electoral calendar, he said, would disrupt national administration and hinder the government's ability to implement policies effectively.

From a strategy perspective, the Seremban MP added that separate elections would pose greater challenges and constraints.

For instance, he said if polls are held separately while maintaining the Madani coalition model, PKR might be unable to contest in the forthcoming Malacca state election and could be limited to just one seat in Johor.

"Maybe PKR won't accept it too, as it does not have many seats in Johor and Malacca. If only state elections are held, basically, PKR may not be able to contest.

"But if federal and state elections are held simultaneously, there can be a package deal, and it will be easier for everyone to negotiate seat allocations," he said.

Loke also outlined another scenario - if federal and state elections are held separately and parties opt for a free-for-all, members of the existing unity government would inevitably face off against one another in state polls.

"That would certainly affect cooperation within the government. We saw how the Perikatan Nasional government collapsed in this way - they governed together at the federal level, but fought one another in Malacca, Johor, and Sabah. So how can you continue cooperating at the federal level?" said Loke.

Under current terms, the Malacca state assembly will expire in December this year, while the assemblies in Sarawak, Johor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan will expire in February 2027, April 2027 and August 2028, respectively.

Parliament, meanwhile, is scheduled to expire in December 2027. - Mkini