GIVEN the ominous threat of a bad monsoon in the region, UMNO’s demand that the general election be called immediately is nothing less than irresponsible.
With the ongoing efforts to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, DAP secretary general Anthony Loke said it smacks of arrogance and disrespect for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
In a statement today, he said UMNO’s insistence for the polls be held this year showed the party’s disregard for the Federal Constitution in which is entrenched the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s discretionary powers with regards to elections.
“Isn’t this derhaka against the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong?” the Seremban MP asked.
He cited Article 40(2) (b) of the Federal Constitution, which clearly lays out the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s power to disallow a request to dissolve Parliament.
Loke said this in response to media reports that the UMNO supreme council had set a date for GE15 and that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is also UMNO’s vice-president would meet with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to seek a dissolution of Parliament soon.
According to Loke, such an arrangement showed that the UMNO supreme council was giving a condition to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and in the same vein sidelines the King’s constitutional discretionary powers.
Loke said this is the first time in history that an open statement on the dissolution of Parliament was issued before the prime minister received the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He also said that UMNO must be reminded that the party only has 38 representatives out of 222 parliamentarians in the Dewan Rakyat or only 17 per cent that made up the entire Parliament.
“UMNO cannot be allowed to act arbitrarily as if they are still the largest party being represented in Parliament today,” he said.
Besides Loke, two other DAP lawmakers had also lashed out at the UMNO supreme council.
In another statement, Klang MP Charles Santiago said by pushing for a general election this year only showed UMNO’s desperation to save its leaders in the “court cluster” from their criminal charges.
“We need to end politicking and focus solely on mitigating the monsoon floods.
“Fixing a date for the 15th general election for next year will also mitigate the almost free fall of the ringgit and sliding economy,” he said, adding that the government does not have to hold polls this year to prove anything.
From Sarawak, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen described UMNO’s announcement last night as not only arrogant, but highly irresponsible as it will be held during the monsoon season.
He said having the GE15 by this year will incur more costs, and forsake the people’s interest especially those likely to be affected by the floods.
-BTS Media
