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No ‘inspiration’ yet on when to dissolve parliament, says Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri

No ‘inspiration’ yet on when to dissolve parliament, says Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Sep. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that he has yet to decide when to dissolve parliament to pave the way for Malaysia’s 15th general election (GE15).

He said any decision on this will depend on the outcome of the discussions among the top leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) this Friday (Sep 30).

“On the 30th (Sept) evening, there are the top five and political bureau meetings, and then at night the supreme council meeting. So let’s wait,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama on Sunday.

Mr Ismail Sabri was speaking to reporters at the end of his visit to New York, where he gave an address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 

UMNO’s top five leaders are party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan and vice presidents Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Mahdzir Khalid and Ismail Sabri. 

The GE15 is not due until September next year, but Ahmad Zahid and Mr Mohamad have been pushing for early polls. 

The prime minister said he has yet to receive the agenda for this Friday’s UMNO supreme council meeting.

“I myself do not know the agenda of the meeting and other details. So we can only discuss that night itself,” he added.

Asked if he had found the “inspiration” for the date to dissolve parliament to make way for GE15, the prime minister replied in the negative.

“I have now found the inspiration on how to preserve our green areas,” he said, referring to how he was inspired by New York's Central Park to develop a similar facility in Malaysia.

“However, as for the election, I have yet to find any (inspiration),” he added, according to Bernama.

On Sunday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said that GE15 could cost up to RM1.1 billion (US$239 million) in what could be the most expensive national election in the country’s history.

He said the addition of some 5 million new voters into the electoral roll will be the main driver of the surge in costs, which is double the spending for the previous polls.

“The estimated cost is about RM1.1 billion. This is more than double the estimated RM500 million spent for the 14th general election in 2018, and almost triple the RM400 million spent for the 13th general election,” said Mr Abdul Ghani, as quoted by the Star.

In July 2019, Malaysia’s parliament had unanimously passed amendments to the Federal Constitution to reduce the minimum voting age from 21 to 18 years old.

With the change, anyone aged 18 above will also be automatically registered as voters.

According to the EC, young and first-time voters will form half the electorate this time.

There are more than 21 million eligible voters as of Aug 16, an increase from 14.9 million in 2019.

Mr Abdul Ghani said that with more voters, the EC has to increase the number of election personnel on duty for GE15 to 366,000, compared with 260,000 during the previous election. 

OPEN TO BEING PM FOR A THIRD TIME: MAHATHIR  

File photo of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)

Meanwhile, twice former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said he would reluctantly accept the responsibility of leading the government for a third time if needed, Malaysian media reported.

However, he said he would prefer a less taxing role, one that would allow him to advise or be an expert consultant to the prime minister instead.

He was speaking at a forum by Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA, or Movement of the People), a coalition of political parties led by Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), on Sep 24.

“But if the insistence were to be incessant, I would find it hard to only think about myself,” he said, as quoted by Malay Mail.

“So, if the insistence is there, I will accept,” said Dr Mahathir who had two previous stints as prime minister, the last one being from May 2018 to Feb 2020.

The 97-year-old politician said he did not covet the prime minister position but would only accept it if that was what the public wanted.

He also said that the position could not be for the full term, but “maybe just for a year.”

"I don’t want people to think that I formed Pejuang or GTA to become the prime minister again.

"I just want to play a part in forming policies that can help the Malays, through a government that loves the people, country and religion," he was quoted as saying by the Star.

Source: Agencies/ih(tx)

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