THE uncertainty about when the state elections has become burdensome to all parties, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) said. 

The election watchdog said although some state leaders have already met the sultan or Yang di-Pertua to obtain royal assent for the dissolution of their respective legislatures, some have yet to officially notify the Election Commission (EC) about the date of dissolution. 

“Bersih calls for all states to be more responsible by officially informing the EC of the planned dissolution date, be it automatically at the end of the term or earlier, with the approval of the palace. 

“This allows the EC to decide the nomination date and polling day immediately because it does not need to wait for the dissolution to happen. It only requires an official notification from the respective state governments,” it said in a statement today. 

Selangor announced it will dissolve its state assembly on June 23, Kelantan (June 22) and Penang (June 28). 

The remaining three states have yet to announce the dissolution dates but the Terengganu assembly will dissolve automatically on July 1, Negri Sembilan (July 2) and Kedah (July 4). 

Bersih said if the EC could announce the election date earlier, it would facilitate the planning of all parties involved, such as election officials, political parties, security forces, businesses, and most importantly, the voters. 

“This is so that they can plan their schedules ahead of time to vote in the elections,” it said. 

Bersih said time is being wasted on the announcement of dissolution, alleging EC now has to wait. 

The dates for the six state polls are yet to be fixed.

All six states must have their elections by September. – June 21, 2023.