Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said he would take into consideration DAP’s suggestion to extend the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan which is set to expire on July 31.
This comes amidst pressure from within Umno, including from party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to call for an early general election.
“We will also take into consideration DAP’s suggestion for the MOU. What is important is that the rakyat’s interests need to be taken care of, which is why I said, it is not yet time for the general election, let us wait,” said Ismail Sabri in a press conference today after attending the “Program Bantuan Lesen Memandu Keluarga Malaysia” in Bera, Pahang today.
DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke had previously said that Ismail Sabri does not need to give in to pressure from Zahid to call for an early general election as he could choose to continue working with Harapan via the MOU beyond July 31.
Loke had also suggested the possibility of exploring a second MOU between the government and the opposition coalition, where they could potentially work on other reforms.
The Ismail Sabri-led administration and Harapan had signed the MOU on Sept 13 last year to restore political stability to the country after another change in government in August that year.
Among the agreements in the MOU is that the government will not seek to dissolve Parliament before July 31 this year.
In the press conference today, Ismail Sabri had said there has been no set date for the general election as there are many factors to consider as well as preparations that need to be readied beforehand.
“Don’t know yet (about the date of the general election) because as we know and as I’ve said several times in my speeches, it will happen when we are ready and the election can be held, but we need to be prepared.
“The question of being prepared or not, we will discuss and there are many other things we need to look at.
“We cannot hold a general election just because of a small group shouting about the general election,” Ismail Sabri said.
The decision to dissolve Parliament is no small matter, he added, and this needs to be discussed seriously within the party.
“This is a big issue so the party will discuss and decide and after that, there are several other things that need to be done such as the procedure, where I will need to have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, have to get the advice and his consent… so let us wait for a suitable time,” he said.
Yesterday, Ismail Sabri was greeted with chants of “dissolve the Parliament” by supporters and Umno members when he arrived at the Umno headquarters in Johor, after BN won a supermajority in the state polls.
However, the premier, who was escorted by bodyguards, remained silent and did not pay attention to the crowd.
BN needs to be truly prepared
In a Facebook posting today, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa praised Ismail Sabri for his wisdom and political maturity in this matter.
Annuar said he agreed with the prime minister that BN needs to be truly prepared for the general election before Parliament can be dissolved.
Whether BN is ready to face the general election is not dependent on the shouting of a minority group who Annuar described as being in a state of euphoria after winning the Johor state election.
“It requires the assurance from the top leadership who is in charge of the party’s preparedness in terms of resources, logistics, finances, organisation and strategy,” he said.
Annuar pointed out that during the Malacca and Johor polls, the state BN leadership could rely on the support of Umno headquarters as well as leaders from other states to help in their campaign.
However, that will not be the case in a general election, he said, as everyone will be busy taking care of their own constituency areas.
“If the preparations, especially resources and finances, are not enough, the whole machinery will be paralysed,” Annuar said.
Not only that, he said the date of Parliament’s dissolution is usually the ruling party’s “big secret”.
“Never before has the date of the election and the dissolution of the government been decided through pressure in a planned and public manner.
“It is like tying a rope around one’s own neck. It should remain secret as well as the prerogative of the prime minister.
“The party’s highest leadership should discuss thoroughly and they can give their views to the prime minister,” Annuar said.
Also, he added, the current administration is not made up of only one party and as such, discussions must take place within the government first. - Mkini
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