Annuar: Only those with authority should talk about GE15

 

Only those with authority should talk about holding the 15th general election (GE15) as soon as possible, said Ketereh MP Annuar Musa.

The communications and multimedia minister said this is because anything related to the general election is still too vague.

“First of all, has the party decided when to have the election? Not yet. Only individuals (who have been asking about it). When it comes to an individual, we have to look at their position.

“If you want to talk (about the general election), let it be the president, deputy president or members of the supreme council. Those are the people with the authority to talk about it.

“As far as I know and if I am not mistaken, the party has not yet decided on anything,” Annuar said in a press conference after attending his ministry’s Excellent Service Award 2021 at the Communications and Multimedia Ministry in Putrajaya today.

Annuar was responding to a statement from Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi who had slammed him for rejecting the call for GE15 to be held as soon as possible.

Puad had said Annuar should not belittle the wisdom of the rakyat who chose a stable government as proven in the Malacca, Sarawak and Johor state elections.

“Everyone knows, including foreign investors, that the federal government of the day is a government that has a weak majority.

“It can be threatened, tied down, pressured, disrespected and abandoned at any time,” Puad said.

No decision yet

Responding to the matter, Annuar said the government of the day does not consist of only one party.

“It is a multi-party government. So, if we want to dissolve the government, other parties aside from Umno also have a right to give their views.

“If it is only Umno that wants to dissolve but the others don’t, the government will still exist.

“Take the basic thing first, Umno has not discussed or decided on anything yet. We just have to wait,” said the former Umno secretary-general.

He added that everyone can give their opinion but there’s a need to differentiate the news between those who have the authority and those who are just normal people.

“In terms of the party’s policy, I am a normal person, and I am the Ketereh division chief, so my opinion is the opinion of the division chief.

“But if I were to talk about the government, then I am speaking in my capacity as a cabinet minister. If you want to ask about the power of the supreme council, I am not on the supreme council.

Meanwhile, he also denied that the rush to hold GE15 soon is due to efforts to topple the prime minister.

He said it is appropriate for people to talk about the election this year as it is already the fifth year of the current Parliament.

“So, if people want to talk about the election, that is okay. But do they have the authority? That is the question. Some people want to have it soon, some say it should be later, and some say after the budget.

“It’s okay then, that is a generalisation and since we have social media now, anyone can give their opinions.

“No one is right, and no one is wrong,” he said.

However, Annuar said if BN is already prepared, then the general election should be expedited.

“But there are those who think I am scared to have an election. Those are the ones who have lost in the election.

“We are among the winners, why should I be scared? But those are just political talk, so we just smile only,” he said, adding that what is certain is that the administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is very committed to continuing their work. - Mkini