KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's richest state Selangor confirmed on Tuesday that it will not dissolve its state assembly and hold polls this year, a move that points to prolonged political intrigue lasting at least till the middle of next year.
Before the parliamentary term was terminated on Monday by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, paving the way for a general election, the main federal opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) had said that all three states it controlled - Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan - would not call concurrent state elections before dealing with the year-end floods.
"His Royal Highness consented for this administration to continue focusing on efforts to ensure the well-being of the people of Selangor," Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said in a brief statement on Tuesday, referring to the Selangor state ruler.
Datuk Seri Amirudin added that he had briefed the state ruler on preparations to face possible floods, efforts in economic recovery and welfare, and the state budget for next year.
However, top-ranking officials in the Democratic Action Party, the largest PH component, told The Straits Times that Penang may not follow suit, due to fears that it may face a stiffer battle after the general election expected in November.
"The central executive committee will decide," said a Penang government leader. "We have a huge number of outstation voters who may not come back a second time (to vote in a state election). This doesn't apply to more central PH states like Selangor and Negeri Sembilan."
Another three states, controlled by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) - Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, are also set to wait until after the year-end floods subside before holding state elections. PAS is a member of former premier Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional (PN), which was part of the Ismail administration.
Thus, a series of state elections will have to be held from June, at the latest.
Given that Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Johor have already elected their assemblymen in the past two years, this leaves just the Umno-held states of Perak, Perlis and Pahang to hold their polls along with the federal elections.
All three chief ministers from the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) have said they will ask for dissolution of the state legislature when they are granted an audience with their respective rulers.
Datuk Seri Ismail, an Umno vice-president, called national polls on Monday after announcing in a live national broadcast that he had obtained consent to dissolve Parliament from Malaysia's King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, on Sunday.
He recommended that chief ministers allow concurrent state polls to be held to ensure the public is not burdened, besides smoothening the democratic process and saving costs.
The Election Commission has said the general election will cost upwards of RM1 billion (S$308 million).
The King has requested the commission to set an early polling day to avoid clashing with floods expected to hit by mid-November.
Both PH and PN have repeatedly accused Umno, especially those aligned with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, of disregarding the fate of the public by prioritising elections ahead of preparations for floods.
The deluge last year killed 54 people, caused RM6 billion in damage and left as many as 60,000 in evacuation centres at its peak.
Critics have also accused BN chief Zahid of wanting polls before the verdict in his graft trial can be handed down early next year, as a conviction would bar him from contesting for public office.
Mr Ismail had been under increasing pressure from Zahid's faction in Umno to call a vote, even putting Friday's tabling of next year's budget in doubt.
Although the Bill was eventually presented, the dissolution of Parliament means the budget, along with flood mitigation measures announced, are no longer valid unless they are resubmitted by the next government.
