Saturday, August 27, 2022

Early budget means elections before monsoon season, say analysts




Early budget means elections before monsoon season, say analysts


The Dewan Rakyat will sit on Oct 3, with the federal budget to be tabled on Oct 7. (Bernama pic)


PETALING JAYA: The next general election could be just a budget away, says a political analyst, commenting on the government’s decision to table the federal budget three weeks earlier than scheduled.

Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir said the date to table the budget was brought forward to avoid having elections in late November, during the monsoon season.

The budget is to be tabled on Oct 7, instead of Oct 28, with the Dewan Rakyat to meet on Oct 3.

Another analyst, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, said he believed Parliament would be dissolved soon after the budget was tabled, especially if the budget is not passed by the Dewan Rakyat.

By constitutional convention, a government falls if the budget is not approved.

Azmi said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would then seek to dissolve Parliament. “Ismail will say he has no choice,” Azmi told FMT.

Jeniri said it was likely that Parliament would be dissolved even if the budget was approved.

Another analyst, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the early tabling of the budget was to appease Umno’s grassroot members and soothe any misgivings they might have against Ismail, who is an Umno vice-president.

A general election must be held by September next year, but some Umno leaders have pressed for it to be called this year following convincing Barisan Nasional victories in recent state elections.



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