KANGAR: The 15th General Election (GE15) should be held next year due to the possibility of floods later this year, said PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said any responsible government would set the general election date at a suitable time and not burden the people.
"We are quite concerned about the flood problem and the best (time to hold GE15) is next year because I think the situation would be under control," he said.
Anwar, who is the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, told this to reporters after chairing the Perlis PKR State Leadership Council (MPN) meeting here lat night.
In a related development, he said PKR has yet to pick candidates to fill some of its seats which had seen party incumbents jump ship. This includes the Gombak and Ampang parliamentary seats.
"We have not decided who the candidates will be, but I am giving a clear message to the incumbent of this 'treacherous seat' that whatever reason he gives, whether it is Anwar's fault or anyone else's fault, he is still treacherous.
"These treacherous people should be rejected, and we have instructed the (PKR) leadership, for example, to determine that the (new) candidate (picked) must be strong to unseat them (incumbents). For now, we are scrutinising the candidates because there are many 'treacherous seats'," he said.
"They should retire, where in history can traitors survive. Let's not underestimate the awareness of the ordinary people, who may not be as clever in commenting or coming up with statements.
"However, it is in their heart and conscience, they know what is right and wrong, what is true and false, this should be highlighted," he said.
During the Sheraton move in February 2020, facing a sack from PKR, former party deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak) and ex-vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin quit the party. Following the duo were 11 other PKR federal lawmakers. They are Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota); Baru Bian (Selangau); Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (Bandar Tun Razak); Datuk Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal); Datuk Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat) Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar (Segamat) Ali Biju (Saratok); Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo); and Jonathan Yasin (Ranau).
The move by the 11 coupled with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and its 26 federal lawmakers pulling out of the 22-month-old ruling Pakatan Harapan, saw the first non-Barisan Nasional federal government fall, paving the way for a new government.
