Guan Eng: Snap polls next year if PN can't 'rule by fear'

 

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has opined that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will seek a fresh mandate next year if they can't secure an emergency declaration and rule by fear.

As such, he said Pakatan Harapan needs to get ready for snap polls next year.

"We have to get ready whether we like it or not because it is clear that the government is going to polls next year.

"If they can't secure an emergency proclamation which is what they want, to rule by fear, I think they are looking at the polls next year," he said on a BFM radio's "Breakfast Grille" programme this morning.

He said this when asked if the opposition coalition is ready or getting ready for general elections.

On Nov 1, Lim had urged Muhyiddin to adhere to the royal decree that rejected the latter's proposal to declare a partial state of emergency. The Bagan MP claimed that the prime minister appeared not to give up on making a similar request in future.

Muhyiddin had explained that the state of emergency was the only way to stop the Batu Sapi by-election and the upcoming Sarawak state election after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong rejected his proposal.

While Muhyiddin linked the state emergency to the government's effort to contain the third wave of Covid-19, but many saw it as a move to counter the political coup attempt of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as well as Umno's threat to reconsider its support for PN. The PKR president had claimed that he had a solid majority to form a new government.

PN is currently in power with just 113 seats in Parliament, including 39 Umno MPs. PKR, DAP and Amanah have 91 seats, while their allies in Sabah, Warisan and Upko have 10 seats.

When asked to revisit the failed political coup attempt by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Lim reiterated that the Harapan component parties were in the dark of Anwar's plan to form a government with individuals MPs from both sides of the divide.

He, however, said Anwar did inform the component parties he would not cooperate with former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"He did mention not (working with) Najib and Zahid in Harapan's presidential council meeting," said Lim, who is also Bagan MP.

Lim said the PN government merely tabled an "ordinary" budget last Friday when the country needs an extraordinary budget to deal with the current once in a lifetime crisis.

Lim had urged the government to expand the RM322.5 billion budget by committing to an additional four percent deficit spending to the projected 5.4 percent deficit in Budget 2021.

While noting his proposal could cause rating agencies to downgrade the country's rating status due to poorer fiscal position, Lim, however, said it is more important to put money into the pockets of 33 million Malaysians adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.  - Mkini