THE government’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pakatan Harapan (PH) on Transformation and Political Stability has no “expiry date”, Minister of Communications and Multimedia Annuar Musa said yesterday.

Annuar, also part of the MOU negotiation and implementation committee, said the agreement stated that the government and PH had committed to ensuring polls were only held after July 31.

“The MOU has no expiry date, many who misunderstand need to be corrected. What was agreed was the election cannot be held before July 31, and the MOU provides backing for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob until Parliament is dissolved.

“Then, it is up to him and the leadership to decide,” Annuar said.

On September 13, 2021, the Federal Government and PH had inked an MOU to establish bipartisan co-operation covering the areas of strengthening the plan to fight Covid-19, transformation of the administration, Parliamentary reforms, ensuring judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and formation of a steering committee.

Asked for a suitable date for the dissolution of Parliament and to hold elections, Annuar said it shouldn’t be too late that it gave Barisan Nasional (BN) opponents an advantage and not too early that the ruling coalition is not sufficiently prepared.

“It will be held when we are ready, the party leadership will decide when that will be. Preparation is in terms of organisation, data collation, funding and the situation the people are in.

“If we do it when the people are suffering, we won’t feel happy… all these have to be studied in detail,” he said.

Yesterday, Ismail said he would not delay an election even for a second the dissolution of Parliament, if BN is ready. – Bernama, June 3, 2022.