KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said all government component parties have reaffirmed their support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration until the end of its term, despite mounting speculation over possible snap polls.
Speaking to the media after a Cabinet meeting today, Fahmi said the issue of snap polls was discussed only briefly, while the resignation of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as Members of Parliament was not discussed at length.
On Sunday, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi announced they had quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to join Parti Bersama Malaysia, or the Malaysian United Party (MUP).
“All the component parties in the Unity Government have stated their continued support for the coalition,” said Fahmi when asked whether the issue of snap polls was discussed during today’s Cabinet meeting.
“This includes Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
“They said they are doing so for the good of the rakyat, given the economic uncertainty caused by the West Asia crisis.”
Rumours of snap polls have been gaining momentum over the past several months.
They intensified after Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who is also the Barisan Nasional state chairman, dropped a political bombshell on May 16 by announcing that Umno-led BN would contest all 56 state seats.
That prompted Anwar to fire back at the Pakatan Harapan convention in Johor Bahru over the weekend, hinting that if Umno wanted a fight, he might just pull the plug entirely and trigger an early 16th General Election (GE16).
On the alleged altercation involving security personnel and members of the media during the Pakatan Harapan convention in Johor Bahru, Fahmi said he had instructed the secretariat to look into the matter.
He said that, as director of the convention, he regretted the incident.
“These things shouldn’t happen. I have asked the secretariat to look into the issue and to see who was involved,” he said.
“Perhaps the lack of physical space was an issue, and sometimes these things happen.”
Regarding the government’s decision to restrict social media access for those under 16, Fahmi said he had instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to hold a media briefing to explain how the policy would be enforced and answer technical questions.
“We already have safeguards in place, like MyKad and MyDigital ID. When I needed to verify my Facebook account, I had to submit my MyKad.
“Also, e-wallet companies require government documents, and so far there have been no issues.”
