GE15: 14 days campaign period sufficient - PM Ismail Sabri

KUALA SELANGOR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the 14-day campaigning period for the 15th General Election (GE15) as announced by the Election Commission (EC) is sufficient.

The UMNO vice-president said it is the responsibility of every political party to make plans to ensure that the period given by the EC is sufficient for them to campaign for the election.

"The 14 days campaign period is sufficient. There were times we had less than 14 days, so the political parties need to have their own plans to ensure that the 14 days given are enough. If it's too long, people complain that it's too long, too tired to work and so on.

"Hence, the EC has decided, we agree with the EC and to work based on the number of days provided for campaigning," he told reporters after the launch of the Keluarga Malaysia Entrepreneurs and Cooperatives Carnival in Puncak Alam here today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh today announced that GE15 will be held on Nov 19 with nomination set for Nov 5, and early voting on Nov 15.

The campaigning period is set for 14 days beginning after the nomination process on Nov 5 until 11.59 pm, Nov 18.

When asked about UMNO's cooperation with other parties, Ismail Sabri said cooperation with other parties is a big matter that will be decided by the UMNO Supreme Council, and for now, the party's main focus is to win GE15.

"We need to win the general election before we can talk about joining or negotiating with anyone," he said.

In the meantime, Ismail Sabri, who is the incumbent of the Bera parliamentary seat, said: "I want to contest for the Bera seat but we will wait for the announcement.

Ismail Sabri, when asked whether Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz will be nominated to contest the Kuala Selangor seat, said that the names of contesting candidates will be announced by UMNO president or their respective state liaison committee chairmen.

-- BERNAMA