GE15 preparations discussed at length in cabinet meeting

KUALA LUMPUR: The people must brace for the possibility of going to the polls during the rainy season.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said while it was not the government’s intention to organise the 15th general election during floods, preparations must nevertheless be made for the possibility.

When asked about what would happen should the voters have to go to polling stations during a massive flood, Wee said the country must be ready to face any eventuality.

In confirming that the cabinet had discussed the national polls yesterday, he pointed out that once parliament was dissolved, Malaysians would have 60 days before voters head to the polling centres.

“As humans, we can make all the necessary efforts but only God gets to decide. Once parliament is dissolved and the polling date is fixed, we have to face any possibility because this is part of our constitution.

“I want to stress here that we are not planning for polling day to coincide with the floods. We are not purposely doing this. All I am saying is that we have to be ready.

“Besides, we have held elections during the pandemic and so all political parties must get ready from now.

“Whatever the challenges are, we must face them. To be prepared, let’s just assume that the general election may be held at any time,” he told a press conference today.

Earlier, Wee confirmed that preparations for the country to face the 15th general election (GE15) were discussed at length during yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

Since the weather forecast is predicting nationwide floods at the end of this year, Wee said the government had decided to focus on flood preparations to ease the public’s predicaments when it happened.

“I can confirm that during the cabinet meeting yesterday, we discussed at length about the preparations for the general election.

“At the same time, we also discussed about flood preparations because the weather forecast shows that there is a possibility that we will be facing a big flood.

“Therefore, we must make early preparations and I was made to understand that 6,010 temporary relief centres have been gazetted and this is for the (flood) preparations.”

When pressed further on the opinions of cabinet minister as to when GE15 should be held, the Ayer Hitam member of parliament stressed that the decision lies in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s hands.

“We leave it to the prime minister but whatever it is, we must make preparations for both the general election and the floods that are expected.

“Whether it (GE15) is this year or the next, preparations for both must be done concurrently, otherwise, we will have to face the consequences.”

NST