MCA dares PR states to hold elections with GE-13
By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider
MCA dared today Pakatan Rakyat-led states to hold simultaneous elections with the next general elections.
MCA Youth Chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong claimed that Pakatan Rakyat is not ready for concurrent elections.
“Your desire not to dissolve the state assembly until after parliamentary general elections indicates that you are either ill-prepared to meet BN or independent candidates or (you are) acknowledging the administration of public policy is in a mess and that you have flunked in fulfilling elections pledges.
“Thus, you know that you cannot contest in simultaneous elections,” he said in a statement.
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had said the state will most likely not participate in the upcoming general elections if it is called before June next year.
He said he did not want to short-change the people as the state had just approved its budget for next year.
Khalid denied that the state government’s decision was a sign of “insecurity” in its ability to remain in power.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had also said the government would not dissolve its state assembly should the prime minister decide to call for a snap general election.
One reason, Lim said, was the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) has yet to finish its hearings and propose details on how to reform the nation’s electoral system.
The DAP secretary-general, said that the government has also yet to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) as promised in September.
Lim also said that Najib’s administration should be focused on flood prevention and mitigation towards the end of this year, and not on calling for snap polls.
Wee said if the Penang and Selangor state governments are prepared to face BN and independent candidates for the polls, “they do not have to politicise deferring the state elections as a tactic against their opponents”.
The Ayer Itam MP added that it would be wasting taxpayer’s funds and making it inconvenient for logistical preparations if there are separate elections.
“To hold a state election separate from the general elections is not only time consuming with logistical preparations for the Election Commission, security personnel and political parties and candidates, but more pressing is that these will cause tax payers’ pockets to be lighter when huge public expenses need to be utilised.
