Nazri: Calling for early polls threatens stability

The government is stable now and should not be disturbed by calls for a general election soon, said Padang Rengas MP Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Speaking to Astro Awani, Nazri said if Umno tries to dissolve Parliament now, the public will punish the party for creating instability.

He said the party should heed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah’s call for a stable government.

"We can’t just quote the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when it benefits us. We have to remember, that there is a decree from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. His highness wants a stable government.

"If we go against this decree, then the perception is we are trying to disrupt the present stability. Why do so in times of peace and stability? There are no problems now.

"Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is running the country well. There are no problems. To me, those (asking for early polls) are just making excuses," he said.

Ismail Sabri - who has held the job for only 9 months - is under pressure from his own party to hold early elections. Umno's supreme council had on April 11 named him as the party's candidate for prime minister.

Umno is also attempting to delay the party's leadership election from being held at the end of this year, to a date six months after the general elections are held.

This is widely seen as an attempt to prevent Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from being challenged as the party leader - one who has absolute discretion to choose general election candidates - before the next general election.

The current leadership's tenure was supposed to expire late last year. - Mkini