Experts: Combining national and state polls unrealistic due to different timelines
KUALA LUMPUR: The upcoming years will witness several state polls taking place before the next general election, dispelling hopes for simultaneous elections, according to experts.
Although merging parliamentary and state elections could resolve various issues such as cost savings and reducing political fatigue, experts and Members of Parliament (MPs) do not foresee this occurring in the 16th General Election (GE16), which must be held by December 2027 at the latest, as stated by election analyst Dr G. Manimaran.
Experts argue that the dissimilar timelines for state assemblies to dissolve make the combination of state and federal elections highly unlikely in the upcoming general election.
In 2020, the “Sheraton Move” resulted in the collapse of the then federal government due to party hopping, leading to subsequent state elections in Sabah, Melaka, Sarawak, and Johor. Consequently, the Sabah state assembly is projected to dissolve between 2024 and 2025, while GE16 is not scheduled until 2026 or 2027.
Political analyst Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir believes that it is unrealistic to expect the simultaneous occurrence of parliamentary and state polls for GE16 due to these different timelines. He also pointed out that holding separate elections is a longstanding practice that is still deemed part of the democratic process, despite the challenges it presents in terms of logistics, cost, and political fatigue.
Regarding the possibility of changing the current setup, Jeniri highlighted that politicians rarely prioritize such changes, as their main concern revolves around winning state elections. The question of retaining power becomes crucial, and politicians are reluctant to implement changes that may jeopardize their chances in both state and general elections.
Emphasizing the importance of political will, Jeniri stated that those in power generally aim to hold onto their positions for the full five-year term, hindering any motivation to introduce improvements that may not serve their personal interests.
When approached, two MPs from opposing sides expressed support for combining parliamentary and state elections but acknowledged that each state possesses the discretion to dissolve its legislative assembly independently. PKR’s Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung proposed focusing on the six states that recently held their elections, as their dissolution dates were closer to the 15th General Election (GE15) in November of the previous year. On the other hand, Kubang Kerian MP Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man from PAS called on the government to develop an effective method to address issues related to the electoral process. He believed that nationwide concurrent elections would save costs, reduce politicking, and increase voter turnout, allowing more attention to be given to crucial matters related to national development, economic stability, and people’s issues.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
