Malaysia paves way for Nov election by moving up budget

The Malaysian government is set to bring forward Budget 2023 by three weeks to Oct 7, paving the way for a general election to be held in November - 10 months before it is due.

Several sources, including a minister, told The Straits Times the decision was made at a Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, and comes a day ahead of a showdown Umno assembly where the ruling party is expected to press Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament as soon as possible.

"They could dissolve the following week, and use goodies promised in the budget as an election manifesto," said a source advising a minister.

However, a top official said the government could still wait till end-November, after the budget passes, before seeking the King's assent to dissolve Parliament.

This would mean the election might be held at the end of January, just after the Chinese New Year celebrations.

It is unlikely Datuk Seri Ismail will plan for Malaysians to vote between late November and early January, due to the annual monsoon floods during these months that displace thousands and cause billions of ringgit in damage.

The Premier himself did not confirm the change, but pointed out that "it is normal" to table the budget earlier, saying that Tun Abdullah Badawi - in power from 2003 to 2009 - had presented the annual supply Bill in September.

Elections must be held within 60 days of Parliament's dissolution, although typically, a month will be given to allow time for candidates to be nominated and voters to cast their ballots on polling day.

De facto law minister Wan Junaidi Jaafar confirmed in a statement that the budget will be unveiled on Oct 7, explaining that the final parliamentary session of the year needed to be brought forward to allow time to complete the government's legislative agenda.

But he told news website Malaysiakini that the Cabinet meeting did not discuss the next election.

"I was the one who tabled the paper for the change of date (for Parliament to sit). We have five outstanding Bills that we tabled for the first reading in the last session and (this) must be completed," he claimed.

"It's a bit late to have it (the budget session) by end of October," he reportedly said.

The earlier budget date comes on the back of reports that Umno's political bureau, led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, told party vice-president Ismail on Wednesday to call an election immediately or face the sack.

However, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said no such demands were made, describing such claims as "slander".

The party meeting was held a day after influential former premier Najib Razak was sent to jail, after failing in his final appeal against a 12-year sentence over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.

Umno leaders who support Zahid and Najib have long called for the national vote to be held as soon as possible, to capitalise on the party's super-majority wins over a divided opposition in state polls in Melaka and Johor in the past year.

But critics have accused the two politicians, who face graft charges, of wanting early polls in order to influence the outcome of their cases - claims both men have denied.