THE single question engrossing the minds of Malaysia is not whether Malaysia is on the precipice of facing the greatest monsoon and floods disaster because of climate change (of which 54 human lives were lost and property damage worth some RM6.5 bil was recorded last year).

Or if the economic crisis faced by Malaysians because of increase of food prices and depreciation of the ringgit or even the tabling of Budget 2023 on Friday (Oct 7) but whether Parliament will be dissolved tomorrow (Oct 6) or day after (Oct 7).

I will be surprised if Parliament is dissolved tomorrow (Oct 6) or Friday (Oct 7) for it will mean that we have a Prime Minister who has not only served the shortest tenure of 14 months but the most irresponsible PM in the nation’s history.

In fact, we have a PM who has abdicated his responsibility to Malaysians to help them weather the worst monsoon and floods season in history and to cushion them from the economic crisis of rising prices and depreciation of the ringgit.

What is worse is that we have a PM who is prepared to commit parliamentary contempt by bringing forward the October 2022 Parliamentary meeting and tabling of the Budget 2023 to allow Parliament to meet for a week to pass bills which will lapse when Parliament is dissolved.

“Worst PM in history”

If the PM wants to knuckle under the pressure of the UMNO “court cluster” to have an early 15th General Election (GE15), then he should have advised the Yang di Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament before MPs from all over Malaysia gather in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 3 for the start of the October meeting of Parliament.

Do we have the worst PM in history? We will know soon.

The UMNO “court cluster” may be mistaken that this is the best time for UMNO to hold the GE15. UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is of the view that UMNO is not as strong as it used to be and that the dominant Barisan Nasional component party is facing various issues which have left its leaders no longer being able to meet the public and answer their questions.

One such problem is corruption which banker Tan Sri Nazir Razak said in a public lecture: “If corruption was a disease, it is stage four cancer, that’s where we (Malaysia) are.” He said Malaysia has no choice but must start with a war on corruption.

I believe that Aug 23 when a five-member Federal Court joined four other judges in sending former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak to jail may be a watershed as to whether Malaysia can reset and return to the original nation-building principles and policies as entrenched in the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara.

These encompasses constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, good governance, public integrity, meritocracy, respect for human rights and national unity from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural diversity where there are no first-class and second-class citizens.

If I am right, then holding GE15 now may be the worst time for UMNO. – Oct 5, 2022

DAP supremo and veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang is the MP for Iskandar Puteri.

https://focusmalaysia.my/will-parliament-be-dissolved-tomorrow-or-day-after/