Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced the dissolution of Parliament to make way for the country’s 15th General Election (GE).
During a televised special announcement at 3pm today (Oct 10) Ismail Sabri said the election date will be announced by the Election Commission.
Today’s announcement comes amid speculation of a snap election and just days after the national budget for 2023 was tabled.
Umno has been pushing for GE15 to be held before the end of the year, but the party’s main rivals, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), have spoken against it.
Leaders from both PH and PN have cited the monsoon season, the economic situation, the effects of the pandemic, and year-end festivities as reasons to delay polls to a later date.
Following the Federal Constitution, a general election has to be held within sixty days from the date of its dissolution to elect representatives for the House of Representatives.
The prime minister said he had met with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Sunday afternoon to ask for his majesty’s approval to dissolve Parliament.
Article 55 of the Federal Constitution stipulates that only His Majesty has the absolute power to prorogue or dissolve the Parliament under the advice of the Prime Minister.
Ismail Sabri, in his speech, said this is in keeping with the principles of a constitutional monarchy and the Federal Constitution as a democratic nation.
Meanwhile, Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced Barisan Nasional (BN)-led states will dissolve their legislative assemblies simultaneously with the dissolution of Parliament, to make way for the 15th General Election (GE15),
Bernama reported the BN chairman saying however, Melaka, Johor and Sabah state legislative assemblies will not be dissolved because they have not reached maturity.
The state governments under BN are very concerned, and we do not want the Election Commission (EC) to be burdened with high expenses if the state elections are held separately.
Hence, we decided that the states under BN will not hold separate state elections, he said at a press conference after officiating the 76th MIC general assembly, at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), on Monday.
The Election Commission (EC) is now expected to meet within the week to announce a date for Polling Day. With a polling day finalised, the EC would also announce two other dates for Nomination and Early Polling Day.
A two-week campaigning period for contesting political parties to canvas voters and rally support would then take place after Nomination Day.
Elections in Malaysia exist at two levels — federal and state — where federal elections are held to elect 222 members of the Dewan Rakyat, while state elections are held to elect members of the state assembly every five years.
Both elections are usually held concurrently unless decided against by the state government.
States led by Pakatan Harapan and PAS have so far said they would not hold state elections during the monsoon season, which included: Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah, and Terengganu.
An election was not due until September 2023, but Ismail was believed to have been under increasing pressure from some factions of his ruling coalition to hold the vote earlier for a stronger mandate and due to infighting within BN.
