Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Sabah Pakatan Harapan have rejected calls to dissolve Parliament, maintaining that the decision rests solely with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
MELAKA: Any calls for Parliament to be dissolved earlier than scheduled are unwarranted as the matter falls under the Prime Minister’s prerogative, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
Speaking to reporters at the Semarak Tani Gathering in Merlimau today, he said any decision on the matter should be left entirely to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s consideration, without pressure from any party.
Mohamad Sabu was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement yesterday that it would be better to dissolve Parliament to pave the way for a general election than to reshuffle the Cabinet.
Ahmad Zahid said that when asked about the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Transport Minister Anthony Loke, which took effect yesterday, after the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday ordered Najib, 73, to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case under house arrest at his residence in Langgak Duta, with immediate effect.
Under the new court order, Najib will serve his house arrest sentence until Aug 23, 2028, before returning to Kajang Prison on Aug 24 that year to serve his prison sentence in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad case.
Meanwhile, Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the country’s institutional reform agenda and efforts to improve governance could be jeopardised if Parliament was dissolved prematurely.
“Sabah PH rejects Ahmad Zahid’s proposal to dissolve Parliament, as Anwar’s priority at this juncture is to strengthen the national economy and safeguard the people’s welfare.
“Let us not, in our eagerness to pursue short-term political interests, put at stake the confidence of investors and the international community in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.
Mustapha, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak), described the call for Parliament’s dissolution as surprising, as it contradicted Ahmad Zahid’s official position as UMNO president, having previously pledged to remain with the Unity Government until the end of its term.
In this regard, he urged all parties to respect the existing mandate and give the Prime Minister full leeway to implement the economic recovery agenda and safeguard the people’s well-being.
