The Malaysian Insight

NEITHER Perikatan Nasional nor Pakatan Harapan wants snap elections, especially amid a weak economy and the Covid-19 pandemic, said an opposition duo.

Bayan Baru MP and PKR strategy director Sim Tze Tzin doubts that the ruling PN would want polls anytime soon, saying Bersatu, Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak would find it difficult to agree on seat allocations.

“I don’t think Umno, PAS or Muhyiddin Yassin’s faction in Bersatu have settled the matter of seat allocations,” he said during The Malaysian Insight’s Mandarin Insight Talk session with Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong.

Sim said PH, which won the 2018 general election but lost federal power in February, already has seat allocation arrangements largely in place.

The pact can face elections with some adjustments to account for Bersatu’s departure, he said.

However, he added, the coronavirus outbreak has been advantageous to Muhyiddin’s government.

“It allowed Muhyiddin to use revenue brought in by the PH administration and give out large amounts in welfare aid to the people.”

Liew said the only person who would want snap polls called is former prime minister Najib Razak, who is on trial for a raft of corruption charges related to the massive 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

“PH does not want elections. We want a longer time to prepare for elections. We originally won (in 2018) and were the legitimate government before a coup unseated us.

“Muhyiddin would not want elections as well, but how long can he last?”

The prime minister’s slim majority in Parliament – 114 of 222 seats – has fuelled rumours of attempts to get MPs to back PH.

Talk of a majority of lawmakers supporting PH has been rife in political circles and on social media.

Opposition leader and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had said obtaining 129 MPs’ support was a “work in progress”.

There are also rumours of unhappiness among ministers and their possible resignations, which would further weaken the Muhyiddin administration. – June 5, 2020.