POLITICIANS who are pushing for the next general election when the country is facing inflation are selfish and do not think of the people.
Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said that he fully supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who – citing economic concerns – previously mentioned in an interview that he would wait for the right time to call an election.
“I agree with the Prime Minister. Our main interest now is the plight of the rakyat, and we all know there is inflation now, so we have to put the rakyat first,” Nazri was reported as saying by Malaysiakini in an interview.
“We need to find ways to overcome inflation and make sure the rakyat have money to put bread on their tables. That is more important than to be selfish politically, thinking this is the right time to have an election.”
In a recent interview with Nikkei Asia, Ismail Sabri reportedly downplayed calls for an early election, citing a rise in food prices and other living costs.
An election is not due until 2023 but Ismail Sabri has been facing pressure from some of those in his party UMNO to call an early vote to capitalise on the party’s resurgent popularity in recent local polls.
The Prime Minister told the financial newspaper that he will wait for the “right time” to call an election, given inflationary pressures partly stemming from the Ukraine conflict.
On this matter, Nazri also slammed his comrades who believe that now was the right time to call for the general election given the fact that the opposition parties were in disarray and UMNO was on a roll thanks to its recent winning streaks from the recent Melaka and Johor state polls.
“If that is the way you think, that inflation is not a serious matter, and an election is more important, that is being selfish,” he told the news portal.
“The MPs from both sides are now supporting the PM, so there is no valid reason at all to go for the election. How is it that MPs from the other divide support the PM, but the PM’s own party doesn’t support him? They are not thinking for the country as a whole.”
According to the UMNO veteran, under the current economic condition the country should be prepared to delay the election further, even up until the end of the current Parliament’s term.
When the time is up and the election is to be called, UMNO would not be blamed, he added.
“If we have to go right to the end, we just need to go. Because our priority is the rakyat, to bring down inflation,” he opined.
“For as long as this is not done, there is no valid reason to hold the election. But in a year’s time, we can’t hold anymore, and constitutionally we can’t go beyond five years. But that is mandatory, even if we hold the general election, no one can blame us.
“We have to do this as a responsible Government, not as selfish politicians.” – June 2, 2022
