By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Feb 25: A snap election may be inevitable if interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad fails to obtain a simple majority out of the 222 MPs, said Santubong MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
According to him, the meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today was for all MPs to pick their choices whether they prefer Dr Mahathir to lead the country or for Parliament to be dissolved to pave way for a snap election.
“That’s why GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) had taken the stand to pick Dr Mahathir to continue to lead the country. This was based on the consensus among the four component parties in GPS,” Wan Junaidi told DayakDaily here today.
He added that since all the MPs have made their choices, the Chief Secretary to the Government will announce the result tomorrow.
“Whatever it is, the choice is either Dr Mahathir be re-appointed as Prime Minister or a snap election is called. We can’t predict which way it will go,” he said.
GPS has 18 seats; DAP, 42 seats; PKR Datuk Seri Anwar faction, 37; PKR splinter group led by Datuk Sri Azmin Ali, 11; Parti Amanah Negara, 11, Dr Mahathir’s own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, 26 and Parti Warisan Sabah, 9.
If every MP votes according to their party stand which was expressed publicly, Dr Mahathir will have 154 seats, not only that he will be re-appointed as the prime minister but would commands a two-thirds majority support in Parliament.
On the other hand, even though both Umno and Pas had advocated for a snap election to end the current political impasse, they do not have the number.
Meanwhile, Serian MP, Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem when contacted, confirmed what Wan Junaidi has said, that all members of Parliament have met the Agong to state in black and white their preference – whether it is Dr Mahathir to continue to lead the nation or a snap election to reboot the whole government. — DayakDaily
