PN rejects GE being held this year

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin said ministers from the coalition have been instructed to disagree with the general election being held this year in cabinet meetings.

Similarly, all PN parliamentarians have also been asked to take the same stance.

“PN is of the opinion that it is not reasonable to hold the 15th general election this year, seeing as the northeast monsoon will start soon, with floods expected to affect the country, especially in the East Coast states.

“Holding elections during the monsoon season will certainly affect the election process and also make things difficult for the rakyat.

“Members of the cabinet from PN have been asked to stress this stand in cabinet meetings. All PN MPs have also been asked to take the same stand,” Muhyiddin (above) said in a statement today.

He said the government should be focusing on preparing for the monsoon season, on top of accelerating the country’s post-pandemic recovery, instead of thinking about the general election.

Malaysians are also currently burdened with rising inflation, a spike in the prices of goods and the fall in the value of the ringgit, he added.

“Solutions to these issues must be given full priority by the government, especially through Budget 2023,” Muhyiddin said.

The Umno supreme council declared last Friday (Sept 30) that the general election should be held this year and that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would soon propose a date on when to dissolve Parliament to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Since then, there has been intense speculation that the prime minister may advise the king to dissolve Parliament before Budget 2023 is tabled this Friday evening (Oct 7).

However, Ismail Sabri today downplayed any audience he would have with the king this week as ordinary pre-cabinet briefings.

He also said no one could influence him in advising the Agong on when to dissolve Parliament.

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