Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to present a few potential dates to dissolve the Parliament and pave way for a general election to be held this year, said UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
He announced this during the party’s supreme council meeting at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on Friday (30 September) night.
“The dissolution of Parliament must be made at the soonest possible time to allow the 15th General Election to be held by this year.”
“Based on this decision, the Prime Minister will present proposed dates of dissolution to the King, in line with Article 40(1) of the Constitution,” Ahmad said.
He added that this decision is consistent with the party’s stand from the beginning to return the mandate to Malaysians after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.
Ahmad also called on the entire party machinery to finalise all electoral preparations.
It is said that the Parliament may be dissolved between 10 and 14 October, a few days after Budget 2023 is tabled on 7 October.
Meanwhile, UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that a consensus has been reached by UMNO’s “top five” on the date to dissolve Parliament, paving the way for the GE15. However, he said no exact date had been agreed upon.
A source was reported saying that a November election date is likely after the consensus at the political bureau meeting that followed the meeting of the “top five”.
“They are looking at a November election. So Parliament could be dissolved by the second week of October,” the source said.
Earlier, UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said holding a general election during the monsoon season is not the same as having it during the flood season.
“God willing, GE15 will be held before that the flood season. Opposition parties want GE15 to be held next year because if Parliament is dissolved soon, they would be defeated by Barisan Nasional,” Zahid said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, Zahid also said the caretaker prime minister will be able to keep the country running while handling the floods.
