PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should not dissolve parliament this year to allow a general election and should avoid turning Budget 2023 into an election budget, Lim Guan Eng said.

The DAP chairman stressed that if an election is called early, the budget will not resolve the country’s economic problems but only bolster the election prospects of Ismail and his party.

“With the extra RM25 billion in dividend payment from Petronas to the government, totalling RM50 billion for 2022, there is valid concern that the RM50 billion public funds will be used not for the benefit of the rakyat, but squandered for political interests,” the Bagan lawmaker said in a statement today.

“The rakyat must take back the spirit of Merdeka from unscrupulous politicians and ensure full accountability of the utilisation and spending of the RM50 billion payment from Petronas.”

Ismail has been under pressure from Umno leaders to hold an election as soon as possible, but the Bera MP has yet to bow to the demand.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had recently demanded Ismail immediately call the general election, citing that this was agreed by Umno Supreme Council members.

Lim said Ismail’s top priority now should be national unity, the economy and people’s livelihoods.  

He said the current economic crisis will be the primary issue for the people, even overshadowing the jailing of former prime minister Najib Razak for abuse of power.

“By buckling under pressure from Umno to hold an early general election, Ismail ignores the perilous nature of the country’s economic recovery in the face of rising prices and inflation, severe labour shortage, depreciating ringgit, poor governance, rampaging corruption and an impending global recession,” he said.

Lim said instead of focusing on the people’s livelihoods, Zahid and Barisan Nasional claimed that the unstable political scenario has put the country’s economy in a state of decline, thereby necessitating early polls.

“While Umno is correct that the country’s economy is in a state of decline, it is Umno that is destabilising its own prime minister with repeated threats to call an early general election when full attention should be given to resolving current economic woes,” said the former finance minister. – August 31, 2022.