Parliament is dissolved FMT Reporters
KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament is dissolved, the prime minister has announced, paving the way for the 14th general election (GE14) on the back of major realignments in political alliances on both sides of the divide.
“His Majesty (the Agong) has agreed to the dissolution of the Parliament from tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, 2018,” Najib Razak said today in a special speech broadcast live on public television channels, and attended by cabinet members.
A total of 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats are at stake.
The Election Commission will now set a date for accepting nomination of candidates, followed by two to three weeks of campaigning, based on past practice.
Earlier in his speech today, Najib underlined seven achievements under his leadership.
He said these include an economic growth of 5.9%, “among the highest in the world”, and the government’s embrace of moderate Islam while not subscribing to an understanding that is “too liberal and loose”.
“So why then the claim that Malaysia is a failed state?” he asked.
This will be Najib’s second general election as prime minister since taking over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009, following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) losses a year earlier.
It will also be BN’s second attempt at regaining its two-third majority lost in 2008, though many believe this will be impossible in the face of an opposition buoyed by the presence of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
On the opposition front, several new parties will go to the polls for the first time, including Amanah, the PAS splinter party formed in 2015, and Warisan, the Sabah-based party led by former Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal.
Today’s dissolution of Parliament also comes 24 hours after the dissolution of PPBM, following a decision by the Registrar of Societies giving the party a month to fulfil several conditions to avoid permanent deregistration.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, more than two months before the end of his five-year term, paving the way for a general election.
A woman passes a live telecast of Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak addressing the nation on the dissolution of Parliament at a electronics shop in Port Klang, Malaysia April 6, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin
Najib, 64, burdened by a multi-billion dollar scandal linked to a state fund, is under pressure to deliver an emphatic win for his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as he struggles to appease voters unhappy with rising living costs and blunt a challenge by his old mentor and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib is widely expected to retain power, especially with a deep rift between Mahathir’s opposition alliance and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which analysts expect will split the opposition vote.
Najib said he met Malaysia’s king, Sultan Muhammad V, to gain approval for the dissolution.
“The king has permitted for parliament to be dissolved effective Saturday, April 7,” Najib said in a special announcement on the state TV broadcaster.
“If victory is given to BN, we promise to do our best, to carry out a bigger, more inclusive and more comprehensive transformation of the country,” Najib said.
A man passes a live telecast of Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak addressing the nation on the dissolution of Parliament at a electronics shop in Port Klang, Malaysia April 6, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin
Polling must be held within 60 days from the dissolution of parliament. The Election Commission is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for the vote.
Najib’s announcement comes on the back of robust growth for Malaysia, buoyed by a recovery in global crude oil prices and increased trade and infrastructure investment from Malaysia’s largest trading partner, China.
A general election was widely expected to be called last year, but Najib held off, apparently to allow time for the introduction of budgetary reforms aimed at lower income families and rural voters, who make up a key voting bloc for his ruling BN coalition.
The government has also approved the election commission’s plan to redraw electoral boundaries and passed a contentious anti-fake news bill, changes that the opposition claims would favor Najib and his ruling allies.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak gestures as he speaks during a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Putrajaya, Malaysia December 22, 2017. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin
Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party heads the ruling coalition that has held power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. The coalition lost the popular vote in the last election, in 2013, but Najib held on to power with a smaller majority in parliament.
But a weaker result, even if the coalition retains power, could lead to an internal leadership challenge against Najib.
BITTER BATTLE
Najib resisted demands to step down in mid-2015 following reports of financial mismanagement at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), including that $681 million was deposited into his personal bank account.
Najib has denied any wrongdoing. Transactions related to 1MDB are under investigation in six countries including the United States, Singapore and Switzerland.
Najib has clamped down on dissent, sacking critics from his cabinet and party who questioned his involvement in 1MDB.
The scandal has created a rift between Najib and 92-year-old Mahathir, who ruled for 22 years before retiring in 2003, and has become Najib’s harshest critic.
With the common goal of taking down Najib, Mahathir has joined hands with his former deputy and jailed opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, ending a bitter feud that had shaped the country’s political narrative over two decades.
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced the dissolution of Parliament effective Saturday, April 7, paving the way for the 14th General Election (GE14).
The announcement was made at 12.13pm and broadcasted live via Najib’s official Facebook account.
It came after Najib’s audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara earlier.
Najib said that the Agong has consented to the dissolution of Parliament.
Barisan Nasional-controlled states are expected to dissolve their respective state assemblies either today or tomorrow.
The only exception is Sarawak, which held its state election in 2016.
The three opposition-ruled states — Selangor, Kelantan and Penang — are also expected to do the same.
Nominations are expected to be held by April 21 with polling as early as May 5.
This will be Barisan Nasional’s second general election under Najib’s leadership, who took over as prime minister on April 3, 2009.
Article 55(4) of the Federal Constitution stipulates that the general election must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for nomination and polling by next week.
Dissolution effectively ends the tenure of all members of parliament, leaving the country to be administered by a caretaker government, until the next Parliament is convened.
The last election was held on May 5, 2013. Parliament was dissolved on April 3, and nomination day was on April 20, 2013.
With voting expected to take place in early May, the focus in the coming days and weeks will be on the announcement of the candidates, the unveiling of BN’s election manifesto on Saturday and official campaigning by both sides to win the hearts and minds of the 14,968,304 million registered voters.
A total of 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats are up for contest.
The Parliament has been dissolved and Malaysians are eagerly awaiting the day when they get to cast their votes to elect a government. But what happens in between? Here’s a step-by-step guide to what takes place within that period.
WRIT AND NOTICE OF ELECTION
Once the Dewan Rakyat is dissolved, the Election Commission (EC) will issue a writ to the returning officers of the various constituencies authorising them to conduct elections in their respective areas. File pic by SAIRIEN NAFIS
As soon as the Dewan Rakyat is dissolved, the Election Commission (EC) issues a writ to the returning officers of the various constituencies authorising them to conduct elections in their respective areas. At the same time, a notice of election is posted in various places for public viewing. This notice contains the nomination date and the dates for early voting and regular voting.
NOMINATION DAY
Candidates can start campaigning once the nomination process is completed. File pic by ROSLI AHMAD
A date is also set for candidates to present nomination papers to their respective returning officers. They must do so between 9am and 10am on nomination day.
Every candidate must pay a deposit of RM10,000 for a parliamentary seat or RM5,000 for a state seat. The deposit is forfeited by the EC if a candidate fails to garner one eighth of the total number of votes cast in the constituency he/she is contesting.
The returning officers must ensure that nomination forms are complete and that candidates are eligible to contest. Candidate are disqualified if they are adjudged to be a bankrupt, is of unsound mind or not a citizen of Malaysia. If only one candidate is eligible to contest in a constituency on nomination day, the returning officer will declare the sole candidate as having won the seat uncontested.
If there are any objections on other candidates on grounds of their failure to fulfil the eligibility criteria, it must be raised during the nomination process. Beyond this period, any objections will be rejected.
The EC also forbids candidates from withdrawing from his contest once their nominations are accepted. Previously, candidates were allowed to pull out from contesting within three days after nomination day.
The returning officer will announce the names of the eligible candidates after 10am.
THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD
Candidates will campaign for a period of time before the election day. File pic by MIKAIL ONG
Election campaigning begins as soon as the nomination process is complete and ends at midnight before polling day. A candidate for Parliament may spend a maximum of RM200,000 on campaigning and a state assembly candidate is allowed up to RM100,000.
A task force set up by the EC will monitor the conduct of campaigns to ensure that candidates comply with the rules. It can, for instance, remove campaign materials that do not comply with the law and stop illegal forums with police help.
ADVANCE / POSTAL VOTING
Police and military personnel will cast their vote in advance voting. Pic by MUHD ASYRAF SAWAL.
Advance voting on designated days before the actual election day allows police and military personnel to cast their ballots at their respective police stations and military camps.
The ballot boxes will be locked away in secure locations until the polling day proper, when they will be tallied with the regular votes.
Postal voting is where absent voters who are unable to come in person to vote, become advance voters by casting their ballots through the post. All absent voters are by default advance voters and those unable to come in person to vote should submit their application to vote by post to their respective Returning Officers. Those eligible for advance voting are members of the Election Commission panel, election officials and staff. It also includes any category approved by the EC as being eligible to vote by post through a gazette such as those serving in the media.
All those allowed to vote by post will receive their ballot papers early, as soon as they are printed. Postal voters are required to return the marked ballot papers to the Office of the Returning Officer by 5pm on polling day.
Overseas voters are divided into two sub-categories, namely who are absent abroad but they do not need approval for postal voting, and Malaysian citizens residing overseas who have registered as voters who must apply for postal voting.
POLLING DAY
On the of election day, Malaysians from all walks of life will cast their vote. File pic by DANIAL SAAD
The process will kick-off with the EC officer handing out ballot papers. The officer will first check a voter’s identity card against the list of registered voters at the station and then examine the index finger of the voter’s left hand to ensure that it has not been marked by indelible ink.
A second officer will then mark the voters’ left index finger. A third officer will tick off the voter’s name on the list and hand the voter the ballot papers – one for the voter to choose the member of parliament and the other for the voter to elect the state assembly representative.
The voter will proceed to the voting booth, make a choices and then deposit the ballots in the appropriate boxes. The entire process will be observed by election officials and the agents of contesting candidates.
The polling centres will close at 5pm.
BALLOT COUNTING
Once the election process is over at 5pm, the counting of votes will start. File pic by YAZIT RAZALI.
Once polling closes, the presiding officer will tally the ballots. The officer will ensure that the number of ballot papers received by the station at the beginning of the day equals the sum of papers given to voters and the number unused.
Ballots with ambiguous and unclear markings will be set aside. After the other votes are counted, the officers will go through the ambiguous votes to determine if they can be accepted. Forms showing the tally of ballots will be brought to the vote-tallying centre, where the returning officer will announce the result for each polling station.
