Let Warisan take Batu Sapi seat unopposed, says Najib

 

Former premier Najib Razak has called for political accommodation by the various parties.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has set out ways to overcome fears of elections causing the Covid-19 crisis to worsen. He also called for political cooperation to ensure the 2021 federal budget is approved.

In a posting on Facebook, he urged all political parties to allow Warisan to retain the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat unopposed, in order to avoid another wave of virus infections as a result of a by-election campaign.

The Batu Sapi seat fell vacant on the death last month of former law minister Liew Vui Kong, Warisan’s permanent chairman. Polling is scheduled to take place on Dec 5.

Fears of a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections came about after a surge of cases in the wake of the Sabah state elections in September, and politicians have been accused of allowing self-interest to take priority over the people’s welfare.

Similar fears were also raised about impending state elections in Sarawak.

However, Najib said: “If they are worried about the Sarawak elections, we still have time. There are laws enabling Sarawak to wait until June next year to dissolve the state assembly and the polling can be done in August.”

The current state assembly’s term expires on June 6 next year and elections must be held within 60 days of the assembly being dissolved.

PN should hold talks with other parties on 2021 Budget

Najib also dealt with public fears of an early general election being called by Perikatan Nasional, in view of moves to force out Prime Minister Muhyddin Yassin.

Politicians have raised the possibility of the 2021 Budget not being approved by the Dewan Rakyat – which would automatically cause the fall of the PN government.

Najib said political parties and politicians would be hesitant to force a general election while the Covid-19 pandemic had not been brought under control. “Surely the people will punish them at the polls,” he said.
Similarly, no MPs would object to a budget designed to fight Covid-19 and restore the economy.

“If this government is worried that the 2021 Budget may not be passed, thus causing PN to collapse, PN should hold talks with various parties so the budget will not be opposed,” he said.

Other politicians and civil society groups have earlier this week similarly urged politicians to come to an accommodation on confidence and supply motions, and not bring down the Muhyiddin Yassin government.

Najib also argued against the declaration of a state of emergency. He said voters would get the wrong impression that PN is a “weak, greedy for power and selfish” government, a perception that might backfire on PN.

A public outcry arose this week on reports that the government intended to seek the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for emergency powers to deal with Covid-19 and political uncertainty.

However, Istana Negara said today, after a meeting of the King and severl rulers, that the King, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had decided there was no need to declare an emergency and that the government had succeeded in handling the pandemic. - FMT