CNA – Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob confirmed yesterday that he will soon have an audience with King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Without specifying the agenda of the meeting to be held tomorrow, the prime minister said that the decision on when to dissolve Parliament is his prerogative, local media reported.
This comes after the supreme council of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) decided last Friday night that parliament must be dissolved soon so that general elections can be held this year. The Supreme Council also said that Ismail Sabri will present a proposed dissolution date to the king.
Yesterday, the prime minister was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times, “Some people say (parliament dissolution will be done) before the (tabling of 2023) budget, some say after budget on Monday.
“Others say this month or November and even next year.”
There has been intense speculation that Ismail Sabri might dissolve Parliament after the budget for 2023 is tabled this Friday.
He told reporters that his audience with the king was an ordinary pre-Cabinet briefing.
“Every week before the Cabinet meeting I meet the agong … The audiences are more towards Cabinet meeting papers,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
Ismail Sabri added on Tuesday that while anyone could provide views on when Parliament should be dissolved, the decision remains his prerogative.
“Before this, it (the dissolution) was never discussed openly. In the past, if the prime minister announced Parliament would be dissolved, it would be dissolved,” he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
“There was no such thing as other political parties giving their views or trying to interfere.”
According to Free Malaysia Today, Ismail Sabri said that past prime ministers did not discuss the dissolution of Parliament with their own parties.
“If the prime minister feels it is the right time to dissolve Parliament, he will seek a dissolution.
“I will consider all ideas and views. But these views do not have any bearing on the (prime minister’s) power to propose (the dissolution of parliament) to the king,” said the prime minister.
He also reportedly said that the memorandum of understanding on political cooperation with the opposition would be valid until Parliament is dissolved.
He said that while the opposition could provide their opinions on the dissolution of Parliament, it could not influence the prime minister’s decision.
The five-year mandate of the current government will expire in July 2023, and the 15th general election must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament.
Ismail Sabri is facing mounting pressure from his party to dissolve parliament. However, he has yet to commit to a timeline for the polls.
