PKR adamant on rejecting Melaka state election

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is adamant with its decision against holding the Melaka state election following the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said it was not a good time for an election to be held when the country was still battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

"In this current pandemic situation, we are looking for a solution to what is happening in Melaka, we do not want a state election and at the same time, we do not agree with an Emergency...there must be a solution.

"That also does not stop us from filing a judicial review against the decision (dissolution of the state assembly) that was made hastily,” he told a press conference on Thursday (Oct 7).

Present were Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee and Telok Mas assemblyman Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad.

Shamsul Iskandar said according to the Melaka state Constitution, there was no clause or provision that did not allow the Yang di-Pertua Negeri to withdraw the emergency proclamation.

"There may be room for Tuan Yang Terutama to review the decision because this is something that has never happened,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiment, Wanita Perikatan Nasional said although the country has almost achieved the target of having 90 per cent of the country’s adult population vaccinated against Covid-19, the risk of infection was still there.

However, if holding the state election was inevitable, Wanita Perikatan was ready to face it in strict compliance with the standard operating procedures set, it said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement was jointly issued by Wanita Perikatan chief Datuk Seri Rina Harun; Dewan Muslimat PAS chief Nuridah Mohd Saleh; Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Wiranita chief Evelyn Gobile; Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) Wanita chief Irene Chan Kam Lan and Gerakan Wanita chief Janice Wong Oi Foon.

The Election Commission (EC) was officially informed of the dissolution of the 14th Melaka state legislative assembly on Oct 4 from Melaka state legislative assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.

Based on Article 19 (4) of the Melaka State Constitution, a state election must be held within 60 days after the date of the dissolution of the state assembly.

Ab Rauf announced in a special media conference that the Melaka state assembly was dissolved on Oct 4 upon consent by Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.

This followed the move by four assemblymen - Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Norhizam (Independent) and Noor Effandi (Bersatu) - in declaring that they had lost confidence in Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali’s leadership, hence causing the state government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) to collapse.- Bernama