King says ‘yes’ to end political turmoil

PETALING JAYA: The King has consented to the dissolution of Parliament because he was disappointed over the current political situation.

In a statement released soon after the Prime Minister announced the dissolution, His Majesty said he had no option but to consent to dissolution so the mandate would be returned to the people.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said an unscheduled meeting was held at noon on Sunday where Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob presented his wish for Parliament to be dissolved.

It was Ismail Sabri’s second audience with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah after the one on Thursday, which was the routine weekly pre-Cabinet meeting.

“Upon consideration, His Majesty in accordance with his authority as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as enshrined under Article 40 (2)(b) and Article 55 (2) of the Federal Constitution has consented to the Prime Minister’s request for the dissolution of the 14th Parliament,” said Ahmad Fadil.

The King also expressed his hope that the 15th General Election will be held as soon as possible, taking into account the bad weather expected in mid-November when the northeast monsoon season starts.

“His Majesty called on the people to pray that the country and the rakyat are always blessed and protected from any form of calamity, especially flood disasters,” said Ahmad Fadil.

The King visited the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Irrigation and Drainage Department on Thursday to check on the country’s flood preparation.

During the two-hour visit, he was briefed on the forecast of the northeast monsoon and preparation for floods at the national level.

There was also a briefing by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on the current national Covid-19 situation and the ministry’s preparations for the floods.

During the national Maulidur Rasul celebrations on Sunday, the King again reminded all government agencies and authorities to be fully prepared for the upcoming monsoon season.

“The preparations must not only be in mitigating the effects of floods, but also in devising a system to ensure that assistance reaches flood victims quickly and effectively,” he said.