PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should allow parliament to see out its term, which ends on July 18 next year, the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants said.  

The group said that in the absence of a vote of no confidence, there was no reason for Ismail to ask the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve parliament. 

“Any move by the prime minister to seek an early dissolution of parliament (which may or may not be acceded to, at His Majesty’s absolute discretion), in the absence of a vote of no confidence against him, will be seen as a capitulation to the demands of the Umno leaders for their own self-interests,” they said in a statement. 

The government should instead spend the remainder of its term coming up with policies that could deal with inflation and the flailing ringgit. 

“This falling in value of our currency, unless wisely dealt with, can bring about serious implications on the economy as well as on the people’s standards of living especially among the B40 households.” 

Affirmative action in dealing with scandals must also be discussed, they said. 

“The present prime minister must deliver on his promise that he will make reforms a reality by taking immediate measures to get the relevant laws passed by parliament and to have them translated into executive actions. Such pro-reform actions by parliament and the executive will help greatly to inspire confidence in Malaysia being regarded as a progressive country, giving a big boost to local and foreign investments.” 

Given that Undi18 has only recently taken force, the government must also take note that political parties need more time to prepare for the election.  

“Umno, the largest political party and most well-endowed with funds may be ready any time for elections. But the newer political parties may need time to usher in new faces to contest for parliament and state assemblies.  

“So far, Umno has not said that the BN-led government is a failure. Therefore, the public is not convinced that there is a clear case for elections to be held ahead of time.” 

Ismail has been under pressure from his own party to dissolve parliament and call for an election this year. 

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party was ready to face the election, even if it was held during the monsoon season. – September 22, 2022.