Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan. -Bernama filepic
PONTIAN: The present government has lost part of its legitimacy after Perikatan Nasional ministers sent a letter to the King urging to not hold the general election during the upcoming flood season, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
The Umno secretary-general added that such a move should not have been taken by Cabinet ministers as the matter could have been resolved among themselves.
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"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has the right to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Sending a letter is not the right move at all.
"Because of the letter, the present government has lost much of its legitimacy," he said when met during the Pontian Umno division Puteri wing meeting held at Pontian Umno hall here on Friday (Oct 7).
Meanwhile, the Pontian MP said that all 191 Umno divisions wings nationwide such as Wanita, Youth and Puteri, had been told to launch their respective machinery.
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"The GE15 date is drawing closer and closer, it is not getting further away and we must make the necessary preparations so all wings must launch their machinery," he said.
On Thursday (Oct 6), PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said Perikatan ministers sent a letter to the King to state their disagreement with the general election to be held this year due to the forecast of a severe monsoon.
Tuan Ibrahim, who is also the Environment and Water Minister, said the letter was sent on Wednesday (Oct 5) night after a meeting of all the component parties of Perikatan in Shah Alam.
He confirmed that the Palace had received the letter on the same night.
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"Yes, we sent such a letter to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
"However, we have yet to receive a reply," he said.
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At a Perikatan event on Wednesday night, it was revealed that the letter dated Oct 3 was signed by the 12 Cabinet ministers of Bersatu and PAS to state that they were against the general election being held this year.
The letter stated reasons were the Meteorological Department’s forecast of a severe monsoon and to allow the nation’s economy to recover.
Perikatan has repeatedly stated they disagreed with holding the polls during the flood season.
PAS has also decided that all three state assemblies under its administration would not be dissolved until the monsoon was over in March next year.
