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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will hold general elections when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Saturday (November 28), shortly after he avoided a showdown by winning parliamentary support for his administration’s budget.
Parliament approved Malaysia’s largest budget by voice vote on Thursday despite weeks of threats from the opposition and some of Muhyiddin’s allies to derail the government’s 2021 spending plan, which could have triggered a crisis.
“Some people feel that the 2021 budget should be rejected to force a general election. There is no need to do this, “Muhyiddin said Saturday in a speech at a virtual annual general meeting of his Bersatu party.
“If asked, even yesterday I could have advised Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament for the general elections. But we all know that the problem is COVID-19. “
“God willing, when COVID-19 ends, we will hold general elections,” he added. “We will give the mandate back to the people and let them choose which government they want.”
READ: 30% of Malaysians are expected to get vaccinated against COVID-19 next year: PM Muhyiddin
Malaysia is facing a new wave of coronavirus infections, with cumulative cases that have quadrupled since September to more than 63,000 through Saturday.
The eight-month-old Muhyiddin administration has clung to a two-seat majority in parliament, managing to fend off a leadership challenge from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and contain growing dissent in the United Malaysia National Organization. (UMNO), the largest bloc in his coalition.
Muhyiddin said he met with UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi this week and they agreed to repair ties between their parties and avoid competing with each other when an election is called.
“I know that people are fed up with endless politicking. People want political leaders to help them, not constantly fight for power,” Muhyiddin said.
The prime minister also said he believes the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition will be welcomed by Malaysians in the upcoming general elections.
“Studies have shown a high level of acceptance of PN among Malaysians. Therefore, Bersatu has decided to use the Perikatan Nasional logo in the 15th General Election,” he said.
“In the Sabah state elections, I made the decision to use the PN logo for the first time. Many had doubts about that decision. That is because the PN is a new party. However, the PN won 17 of the 29 contested seats. , and together with their partners in GRS, which include PN, BN and PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), they managed to form the new government of the state of Sabah. “
Muhyiddin said that Bersatu’s decision to leave Pakatan Harapan and form PN was not easy, but that the decision opened a new chapter for the party.
“We (PN) are considering applications from other political parties who want to join PN in the near future, which will make PN a national political coalition and represent the interests of all Malaysians.
“The basics are simple. We cannot be alone. We need our friends from other political parties to face the general elections and form the government. If Bersatu is alone, perhaps he can win seats but not enough to form the government,” he said .
