There is no need to call an early general election as long as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim retains majority support in Parliament, says DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook.
Speaking to reporters after officiating at the DAP Wanita National Congress, Loke said the unity government was formed based on an understanding reached after the 15th general election and had a five-year mandate.
He said about 15 months remained in the current parliamentary term and should be used to implement reforms agreed upon by the Cabinet.
“For DAP, as long as the prime minister has majority support, there is no need to bow to any pressure to dissolve Parliament,” he said.
“So we will use these 15 months to implement all the reforms we agreed on, including some of the constitutional amendments approved by the Cabinet, such as the separation of the attorney-general and public prosecutor’s roles and a two-term limit for the prime minister.”
On Thursday, Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it would be better for the next general election, GE16, to be held earlier rather than waiting for Parliament to complete its term at the end of next year.
However, Zahid said the Umno-led coalition was also prepared should Anwar choose to serve the full five-year term.
Anwar said the proposal to hold GE16 earlier than scheduled could be considered, but the government remained focused on the economy, public wellbeing and efforts to fight corruption.
Loke defends reform agenda
Responding to reports that DAP was creating tension within the unity government by pushing for reforms, Loke said his party was not the only one supporting the proposed changes.
“The reforms are all part of the shared agenda. Don’t blame DAP for everything. Why not blame other parties as well?” he said.
He said the reforms and bills had already been approved by the Cabinet and some had already been brought to Parliament.
“These are agendas or bills that have already been approved by the Cabinet. In fact, they have already been brought to Parliament. All that remains is for them to be tabled, debated and voted on,” he said.
“There is no tension regarding these reforms. All of them have been agreed upon by the Cabinet, unanimously.”
Loke said the next Parliament meeting would provide the best opportunity to pass the reforms.
“In our view, the first week of Parliament is better because we have a week before the federal budget is tabled. Parliament will meet for four days at the beginning of October, which is sufficient time for these reform bills to be tabled and voted on,” he said.
Coalition disagreements are normal, says Loke
Asked about relations between coalition parties amid frequent attacks against one another, Loke said such disagreements were normal in coalition governments.
“As far as governing is concerned, the parties remain part of the government unless a particular party decides it is no longer part of the government,” he said.
He said political parties would continue to engage in “political manoeuvring”, but this did not mean they had withdrawn their support for the government.
