Political temperature dips during Ramadan but election talk likely to fill festive air

       IN just a few days, the balik kampung rush will begin with Malaysians hurrying home for the Hari Raya holiday.

       There will be gaiety and feasting by those celebrating the occasion, but one thing will never be far from their minds – the general election.

       It’s likely to be a main topic in the Hari Raya open house chatter.

       There are more than 100 parliamentary constituencies in Malaysia where Malays are the majority. How they vote will determine the outcome of the elections.

       Already, the Raya mood is being used to boost politicians.

       Photos of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob with Umno supreme council members and other top leaders, including Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, breaking fast at Seri Perdana have been circulating on social media.

       “This is viewed as a positive move by the PM to strengthen party unity and silaturrahim (harmony) among party members. Umno is being seen as a cohesive and united party,” said a Johor Umno leader.

       Prof Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman, a political analyst at Universiti Utara Malaysia, believes that all signs point to an early election.

       “Umno would like to capitalise on its recent good form in state elections and by-elections. But we will have to wait for the Umno supreme council’s next direction,” he said.

       Throughout the fasting month, the country’s political temperature had dipped but the mercury will soon rise again.

       After Raya celebrations, talk of an impending general election will surely be reignited.

       Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said recent decisions by Umno reflected the party’s intention to push the Prime Minister into dissolving Parliament.

       “If we look at the outcome of the last Umno general assembly, it indicated that the general election must be held before party polls, expected to be before the end of the year.

       “Thus, Umno seems desperate to convince the PM and those in his camp to dissolve Parliament,” he said.

       The greatest push is likely to come from the other faction in Umno known as the “court cluster” – a label used to reference party leaders who are facing corruption charges in court – including Ahmad Zahid.Another huge consideration would be the tabling of the much-anticipated anti-party hopping law in the Dewan Rakyat.

       “Umno would want Ismail Sabri to dissolve Parliament once the anti-party hopping law is passed. So, it could be only after July or August,” he predicted.

       Another lingering question is whether there will be any guarantee that Ismail Sabri will remain as the Prime Minister should Barisan Nasional and Umno win, said Hisomuddin.

       That is why many outside the court cluster want Ismail Sabri appointed as the Barisan chairman, he added.

       “It will be up to Ismail to ‘manoeuvre’ and manage pressure from those within his camp as well as to ensure continuity after the general election if Barisan forms the government,” he said.

       Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin pointed out that the Prime Minister had the authority to call for a general election.

       “However, the party will still give its direct input and views,” he said, adding that any views would be decided by the party’s top five.

       The top five are Ahmad Zahid, his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamed Hasan and vice-presidents Ismail Sabri, Khaled and Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

       However, there are others – like Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz – who believe there is no need to rush into a general election.

       He pointed out that the authority to dissolve Parliament was vested in the King who has the discretion to reject or accept the Prime Minister’s advice for dissolution.

       He felt the Covid-19 situation and the country’s economy had to be considered first.

       These are sentiments shared by many on the Pakatan Harapan side.

       There have been suggestions by several of its leaders, including DAP’s Anthony Loke, that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government be extended, a move which can further delay the election.

       The MOU was meant to cool the political temperatures and get the country’s economy going again.

       Still, Pakatan is also thinking about the inevitable elections with some touting a “big tent” concept which would see the coalition working with other parties.

       Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong has even suggested that all opposition parties must unite to go against Umno’s court cluster by setting up a fair rule ahead of the election.

       “Such rules would benefit all contenders, including Ismail Sabri who is now Umno’s ‘poster boy’ but could be discarded any time,” said Liew.

       He warned that Umno’s court cluster was trying to “break out of jail” with the general election.

       PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karin, meanwhile, felt Pakatan should forget the bitter past, but remember the lessons learnt when forging alliances with those who had abandoned it earlier.

       “We need to open the windows for discussions. Let us consider working with all opposition parties and build bridges,” he said.

       DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke is having none of that. He feels Pakatan leaders should refrain from talking about working with parties outside the coalition, including Perikatan Nasional, until the matter is discussed at the coalition’s presidential council.

       “We will not see the end of this polemic if we keep issuing such statements,” he said.

       For now, there is no stopping the chatter about the GE date and how parties will work towards it.