“Despite UMNO’s desperation, Agong may snub PM’s request to dissolve Parliament”
THE “desperation” of UMNO to hold elections this year may result in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong unprecedentedly withholding consent to dissolve Parliament at the request of the prime minister, said DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh.
(Focus Malaysia) – This as there is a real possibility of serious floods occurring at the end of the year, and so holding the 15th General Election (GE15) then is “certainly not in the national interest”.
The Bukit Gelugor MP also noted that there seem to be no signs of UMNO taking heed of warnings against holding GE15 this year, such as the one by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) scientist Haliza Abdul Rahman.
Haliza had proposed that GE15 be held after next February instead as the floods during the monsoon season at the year-end might be worse than last December’s disastrous floods.
In a statement today, Ramkarpal said even though the King has the prerogative power to withhold his consent to a request by the prime minister to dissolve Parliament as per Article 40(2)(b) of the Federal Constitution, such a refusal has never occurred at the federal level.
“The refusal to consent to a request for the dissolution of a state legislative assembly has only occurred at the state level in the country in the past,” the DAP’s National Legal Bureau chairman noted.
But by insisting on holding elections at a time when it may be dangerous to do so, Ramkarpal said UMNO may be putting Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in a “most precarious position” by “forcing him” to exercise his said power under Article 40(2)(b).
This, however, ought to be avoided as it may trigger a debate as to whether this would be inconsistent with the principle of a constitutional monarchy.
