While expected announcement still came as a surprise given that Ismail Sabri’s administration had just tabled Budget 2023 last Friday.
Ignoring appeals from opposition and lawmakers from within his own party not to hold the 15th general election until next year as the country prepares to face the annual monsoon floods, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of Parliament today to pave the way for early polls that must be held sixty days from now.
The latest date for polling day, therefore, would be Dec 9.
Once the Election Commission is notified of the dissolution of Parliament, it will fix an election date.
The announcement, while expected, still came as a surprise given that his administration had just tabled next year’s federal budget last Friday.
The Prime Minister said that the King had given his formal consent to dissolve Parliament.
Political analysts believe Umno has been pushing for an early election as it looks to ride on the momentum built since earlier this year, and also to avoid going into the polls when conditions become increasingly unfavourable as more voters grow frustrated with the state of the economy.
The 14th Parliament was due to end automatically on June 23, next year.
It was reported that Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Negri Sembilan had said that they would not be holding state polls concurrently with the general elections.