Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali ruled out the need for a snap election in the state, suggesting that to do so would be a betrayal of the mandate given by voters in the previous election.
However, Azamin is exploring legal measures that can be taken to oppose the Election Commission’s (EC) redelineation proposal.
“Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has stated that there are no plans for snap elections in Selangor. The mandate delivered to the Selangor government by voters in the 2013 elections must be respected and should not be cast aside for political expediency…
“The menteri besar is also exploring other legal measures that can be pursued to uphold the Constitution and the principle of representative democracy. These will be announced in due course.
“Democracy can and should be defended by the people. The voters must have their say to the EC. The Selangor government will make every effort to support and uphold democratic rights,” Azmin’s strategic communications director Yin Shao Loong said in a statement today.
Yin said that in view of the EC’s redelineation exercise announced last week, it is also proper to support the Bersih movement, and political parties should help voters exercise their right to object to the EC’s proposal in accordance to Section 5, Part II of the Thirteenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
“The controversial redelineation proposed by the Election Commission (EC) last week demands an equally reasonable and measured response in order to uphold the spirit of the Federal Constitution and defend the democratic rights of voters,” he said.
This was after DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang called for a snap election to be held in the state in view of the EC’s planned redelineation exercise.
However, PKR sources, according to a news report, pointed to seat negotiations as the reason behind their deputy president not wanting to hold a snap election.
Following the break-up of Pakatan Rakyat, opposition parties, except for PAS, have regrouped as Pakatan Harapan.
Seat negotiations a challenging issue
As it stands, the Selangor government also comprises assemblypersons from both PAS, and its splinter party Amanah, which are at loggerheads.
This would make seat negotiations a challenging issue.
Compounding the problem is the emergence of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), which might also want to contest in the election.
"Based on the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections, PKR knows if there is a three-cornered fight, BN will emerge victorious," a source told Oriental Daily News.
"Therefore, the party hopes it will be a one-to-one contest for the seats.
"With seat negotiations not done, how are we to prepare for a snap election?" asked the source.
This morning, Selangor DAP also called for a snap election to be held, claiming that it would be "stupid" to hold an election after the redelineation exercise.
The opposition captured the resource-rich state in the 2008 general election and retained control in the 2013 election.
Pakatan Harapan has 29 seats, PAS 13 and BN 12 in the Selangor legislative assembly. There are also two independent assemblypersons in the 56-seat state assembly.
The EC’s proposal would affect the boundaries of 18 out of Selangor’s 22 parliamentary constituencies, thereby affecting voter numbers in the state constituencies that lie within these parliamentary constituencies as well.
