Malaysia's Election Commission to meet on Oct 20 to set key dates for GE15

KUALA LUMPUR: A special meeting to discuss and set important dates for Malaysia's 15th general election and the state by-election for Bugaya in Sabah will be held on Oct 20, Bernama reported on Tuesday (Oct 11).

Election Commission (EC) secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak said that the meeting, which will be chaired by commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh, will be held at 10am local time at Menara SPR in Putrajaya.

"EC chairman will chair the meeting on the important dates pertaining to the GE15 and Bugaya by-election, such as the writ of election, dates of nomination and polling, electoral roll to be used and other preparations for the two elections," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He said that a press conference will be held immediately after the meeting.

On Monday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of parliament after receiving consent from the king, paving the way for the general election.

"With this announcement, the mandate is returned to the people," he said in a televised address.

"The people's mandate is a powerful antidote for the country to achieve political stability and create a strong, stable and respected government after GE15."

An election was not due until September 2023, but Mr Ismail Sabri had been under pressure from some factions of his ruling coalition to hold the vote earlier.

In the weeks leading up to the dissolution of parliament, opposition parties criticised the possibility of an early election, arguing that the monsoon season will impede voters' ability to access polling stations.

Shortly after Mr Ismail Sabri announced the dissolution of parliament, Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said that the king had no choice but to consent to dissolving parliament earlier than necessary.

"The king expressed his disappointment in the current political developments of the country and had no choice but to consent to the prime minister's request to return the mandate back to the people for a stable government," he said.

Last Friday, Mr Ismail Sabri's government tabled the 2023 national budget of RM372.3 billion (US$80.06 billion), which is the biggest budget yet in Malaysia's history.

Analysts have deemed the 2023 budget a strategy to woo fence sitters into voting for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming election, given the handouts and tax cuts.

According to the Federal Constitution, a general election must be held within 60 days from the date of the dissolution of parliament.