KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah quashed rumours that Parliament is going to be dissolved to make way for the general election this month.
“Is that so? How can it be done? I am here in Bank Negara,” he jokingly replied when asked whether it was true Parliament was to be dissolved yesterday.
He was speaking to reporters after a three-hour visit to Bank Negara, his first since becoming Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
When pressed further, Abdullah denied that he was going to call for the general election “anytime soon.”
“How do you know all this? Looks like you know more than me,” he added, causing those in the packed press conference room to break out in laughter.
Rumours had been circulating through the cellphone short messaging system that Abdullah would dissolve Parliament yesterday while nomination day would be on Dec 11 and polling would be on Dec 20.
The Prime Minister also said that revenue collected by the Federal Government from petroleum obtained off the coast of Terengganu had been used for development in the state.
He said the reason for the Government stopping the payment of oil royalty to the Terengganu government had been explained to the people.
“This is not a new issue,” he said when commenting on the inclusion of the petroleum royalty as a source of revenue in next year's state Budget at the state assembly on Monday.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the royalty, which amounted to RM816mil and formed the single largest source of revenue in the state's 2004 Budget, was included as it was Terengganu’s right to receive it.
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