Sabah Sarawak Leaders Rubbish Claim Of Snap Ge16

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GPS’s Abdul Karim Hamzah (left) and GRS’s Masidi Manjun (right) both insist that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has strong support of MPs to continue leading the government.
PETALING JAYA: Two leaders of the ruling coalitions in Sabah and Sarawak have rubbished claims that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s majority support is in doubt and that Malaysia could be headed for a snap general election by year-end.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) Masidi Manjun both insist that Anwar’s position has strengthened further since his appointment as prime minister in November 2022.
Karim, a vice-president of GPS lynchpin Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, said the Anwar administration’s tenure will only end in 2027, which was “still a long way off”.
“If Bersatu wants to start going to the ground and prepare for a snap election, so be it. It’s not guaranteed that they would be able to win GE16 and form a government as they need to win the support of the rakyat first.

“Bersatu might feel that the prime minister is losing support, but to the silent majority and especially in the Bornean states, they feel that the prime minister has done pretty well in leading Malaysia.
“On a personal note, I feel we should all focus on nation-building and less on politicking. When the time comes for GE16, then show your party’s worth as an alternative to the existing coalition to govern and manage Malaysia,” the Sarawak minister told FMT.
Masidi, the GRS secretary-general, said Anwar has not lost his strong support in the Dewan Rakyat, which currently stands at over two-thirds with the backing of 153 MPs.
“Unless there are political undercurrents in Kuala Lumpur that I am not aware of, I really don’t see how the prime minister is going to lose his majority in the foreseeable future.
“In any case, the opposition was talking about his imminent downfall within weeks of him being sworn in as prime minister. If anything, his position is getting stronger,” he added.
The two leaders were commenting after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin called for his party’s machinery to be mobilised in preparation for a potential snap election at the end of this year.
According to party secretary-general Azmin Ali, Muhyiddin issued the order at a Bersatu meeting last week, which also discussed “very encouraging developments” with PAS’s top leadership.
Government backbenchers responded by reminding Bersatu that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim had warned MPs against causing any political instability when opening this year’s Dewan Rakyat session.
Article 43(4) of the constitution states that a prime minister who loses majority support in the Dewan Rakyat must tender the Cabinet’s resignation unless, at his request, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dissolves Parliament to make way for a general election.
GPS and GRS are key allies in Anwar’s administration, but previously also backed the administrations led by Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin from 2020 to 2021, as well as his successor, Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob from 2021 to 2022.
After the 15th general election led to a hung Parliament, GPS and GRS initially backed Muhyiddin as prime minister but later said they would abide by the then king’s wish that a unity government be formed. - FMT

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