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CYBERJAYA – Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) will only reveal its stand on the date for the dissolution of Parliament after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob presents the proposed date to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, said the alliance’s sponsor chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“We feel the 15th general election (GE15) should be held when we are not facing floods or thunderstorms so that all voters are safe and can vote in a conducive environment,” said the former prime minister after a programme called Suara Tanah Air, here today.
Dr Mahathir said he felt GE15 should be held next year after the monsoon season is over and there are no floods.
Yesterday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan had said the party’s Supreme Council insisted Parliament should be dissolved as soon as possible for national polls to be held this year in accordance with Article 40(1) of the federal constitution.
Dr Mahathir claimed Umno wants to choose a period that would benefit the party, which is why it seeks for the polls to be held by the end of this month or end of November, despite the possibility of floods.
Speaking on GTA’s registration status, Dr Mahathir said the Registrar of Societies (RoS) had informed the party that the process could not be done quickly because more than 30 political parties had submitted application as well.
“However, the RoS has informed us that there was no problem in GTA’s application for registration,” he said.
Dr Mahathir added that GTA plans for 30% of its GE15 candidates to be made up of youths.
When asked to comment on claims that GTA would cause a split in the Malay community, Dr Mahathir said the community has already been split and that the alliance’s main aim was to reunite them. – Bernama, October 1, 2022