Call for GE16 to be held as soon as possible: A flip flop? — Hafiz Hassan
Summary
- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed enacting a Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) to ensure a full five-year governmental term, gaining support from Project SAMA and others advocating for political stability in Malaysia.
- However, despite initial backing, Ahmad Zahid later called for an early general election, indicating a shift in stance.
- The government, through the de facto law minister, confirmed ongoing studies to assess the FTPA's impact, including stakeholder engagement.
- This change in position reflects potential political maneuvering ahead of the 16th General Election.
First Published: Monday, 14 Sep 2026 9:06 AM MYT
SEPTEMBER 14 — It wasn’t long ago that a suggestion was made for a new law that would keep the government of the day in office for a full five-year term.
Who made the suggestion?
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
When was it made?
January 13, 2024 – exactly 32 months to this day.
The next day, Project SAMA expressed its support for the suggestion.
The NGO, founded by former Coalition of Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) figures, advocates institutional reform to enhance political stability and accountability in Malaysia.
Project SAMA in fact urged the Government to enact a Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA). According to it, FTPA “is both a manifesto promise of PH in GE15 and one of the reforms called for by 33 NGOs and 52 individuals in the 2024 new year message”.
Hours later, Pontian MP and Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan threw his support for a proposed law for the federal government to run for a full five-year term without a general election being called earlier.
Then, before even darkness fell on the day, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said confirmed that the Government was considering an FTPA and would be conducting an in-depth study, an impact study and obtaining public opinion for the Cabinet to assess its implementation.
“The fixed-term parliamentary system is also practised by many countries to ensure political and economic stability and to prevent any seizure of power that is harmful to the country’s parliamentary democracy,” the minister said in a statement.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for the 16th General Election (GE16) to be held as soon as possible, saying the time had come for Barisan Nasional (BN) to seek a fresh mandate to lead the country. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Two months later, in a parliamentary reply to a question whether the Government planned to enact an FTPA, Azalina said an in-depth study stage was still being carried out by the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU JPM). The study included an impact study that also took into account the views of the results of engagement sessions with stakeholders and the public regarding the introduction of an FTPA.
Yet on Friday (September 11), Ahmad Zahid, as president of Umno, called for the 16th General Election (GE16) to be held as soon as possible, saying the time had come for Barisan Nasional (BN) to seek a fresh mandate to lead the country.
A flip flop?
January 13, 2024 - at that time UMNO was on the ropes, down but not quite out.
ReplyDeleteUMNO needed all the time it could get to recuperate and rebuild.
Kudos to Zahid and UMNO in making Very effective use of the last 32 months and the More-Than-Equal power it gained in the "Unity Government" to recover and become stronger than PH in the process, while PH was constantly effing its own support base.
The grave error in judgement belongs to Anwar Ibrahim.