Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has raised the possibility of a state of emergency in Malacca in order to postpone snap polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was after Malacca Governor Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam dissolved the State Assembly on the advice of Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.
Sulaiman had made the request in a bid to stave off Sungai Udang assemblyperson Idris Haron, who had tried to bring down his government.
The dissolution was gazetted today and a snap election must be called within 60 days.
Zahid (above) said the Election Commission should consult with the National Security Council (NSC) and the Health Ministry on holding the election.
"If the pandemic, in the opinion of the Health Ministry and NSC, is deemed too dangerous to be held within 60 days, as set out in the election law, then guidance can be sought as what was done in Sarawak.
"The priority is the people's health and the pandemic," Zahid told a press conference in the Parliament complex today.
The Sarawak State Assembly's term expired on June 7 and state polls were supposed to be held within 60 days.
The federal government sought a localised emergency there to avoid an election amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The localised emergency in Sarawak is set to expire on Feb 2 next year, after which polls must be held.
Umno reps to be sacked
At the press conference, Zahid also spoke against the two Umno state assemblypersons who caused the collapse of the state government, saying that they will be sacked.
The two are Idris, who is also a former Malacca chief minister, and Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundur). Both, together with Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu), had withdrawn their support from the chief minister.
"To the state assemblypersons from Umno and BN who have betrayed the trust of the state government led by Umno and BN in Malacca, I wish they are ready to face action from the party, which is to receive their dismissal letters.
"The main issue here, which is the same as at the federal level and several other states, revolves around loyalty to the party. Whether one is a state assemblyperson or a Member of Parliament, they are required to be loyal to the party, especially if it (the administration) is led by Umno and BN," he said.
Asked whether Umno has worked on a list of candidates to face the state election, Zahid said it was still early to discuss the matter.
However, the BN chairperson hinted that more fresh faces would be fielded by the coalition, should the Election Commission call for a state election soon.
"In my opinion, it is still too early for us to finalise the list of candidates.
"However, we cannot stop efforts to identify potential candidates to represent BN and Umno.
"I hold onto the opinion that new faces who can bring fresh hope, and gain the support of voters, should be given the chance so that we can bring a new approach in this Malacca state election," Zahid added.
Meanwhile, Noor Effandi is also facing a similar fate in Bersatu, with his party membership said to have been nullified when he decided to join Pakatan Harapan in denouncing Sulaiman's leadership.
Bersatu vice-president Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen said the party has decided that it is not going to cooperate with Harapan, and Noor Effandi has gone against the policy.
"Any member or party leader who makes a decision that goes against party policy... in this case the policy not to work with Harapan, so when Telok Mas (Noor Effandi) sat with Harapan, he automatically loses his membership," Rafiq told a press conference today.
"He joined them in a press conference, that was enough to make him lose his membership automatically. It's not firing, but he loses his membership."
