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After PAS states, now PH states too say polls can wait

PH says the governments of Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan will not advise the dissolution of their legislative assemblies until their terms end.

Staff Writers
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A man hangs banners showing Pakatan Harapan's logo along a fence in the Portuguese Settlement in Melaka ahead of the state election there last November.
A man hangs banners showing Pakatan Harapan's logo along a fence in the Portuguese Settlement in Melaka ahead of the state election there last November.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) says the three states under its administration will not call for the dissolution of their legislative assemblies until the end of their terms, echoing the stand taken by PAS earlier today.

In a statement signed by top PH leaders, the coalition said the decision was made taking into consideration the economic difficulties caused by the recent floods, as well as the rising cost of living.

“The PH Presidential Council today decided that the state governments of Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan which are administered by PH will not advise the dissolution of their legislative assemblies until the end of their terms in 2023,” it said.

“The council stresses that all efforts at this time should be focused on saving the people and restoring the economy.”

Earlier today, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party’s central committee had decided not to dissolve the state legislative assemblies in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, even if dissolution occurs at the parliamentary level to pave the way for the 15th general election (GE15).

“According the constitution, an assembly has a five-year term starting from the first day of the assembly meeting. If we look at the term from the last general election, it hasn’t even been four years,” he told reporters.

He added that there was no need to hold elections in these states as the country was still battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This was our decision even before the issue of dissolution came up lately,” he said.

Calls for the early dissolution of Parliament gained momentum in the aftermath of Barisan Nasional’s election victory in Johor, where analysts say the turnout of its loyal vote bank ensured it a landslide win despite only a little over half of eligible voters casting their ballots.

At the ongoing Umno general assembly last night, the party’s deputy president Mohamad Hasan had repeated the call, saying Umno must “strike while its enemies are weak”, referring to a disparate opposition.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob however has continued to shrug off the pressure, saying the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.