JOHOR BAHRU – Cabinet ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers have no constitutional right to publicly pressure the Prime Minister into calling an early 16th General Election (PRU16), stated Pasir Gudang Member of Parliament Hassan Abdul Karim.
He emphasized that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is under no obligation to yield to such demands, as the authority to advise on the dissolution of Parliament rests entirely within the Prime Minister’s prerogative under the Federal Constitution.
Hassan further suggested that any Cabinet minister who disagrees with the Prime Minister’s decision to maintain the current administration until the end of the 15th Parliament term should take the honorable step of resigning from office.
“If the minister concerned and his political party disagree with the Prime Minister’s decision… the reasonable and honorable thing to do is to resign as a Federal Cabinet minister,” Hassan said in a statement today.
He pointed out that publicly pushing for early polls breaches Article 43(3) of the Federal Constitution, which governs the doctrine of Collective Ministerial Responsibility.
Hassan added that the Prime Minister alone holds the constitutional authority to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the dissolution of Parliament under Article 40(1), subject to Article 40(2)(b) of the Federal Constitution.
The rebuke follows recent statements by Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who expressed that holding PRU16 earlier would be preferable to secure a fresh mandate from the electorate. -MalayaDailyToday
