GE15: BN-led states to dissolve assemblies at same time as Parliament - Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional (BN)-led states will dissolve their legislative assemblies simultaneously with the dissolution of Parliament, to make way for the 15th General Election (GE15), said BN chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

However, he said Melaka, Johor and Sabah state legislative assemblies will not be dissolved because they have not reached maturity.

"The state governments under BN are very concerned, and we do not want the Election Commission (EC) to be burdened with high expenses if the state elections are held separately.

"Hence, we decided that the states under BN will not hold separate state elections," he said at a press conference after officiating the 76th MIC general assembly, at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), today.

Previously, Pakatan Harapan (PH) announced that it would not dissolve state legislative assemblies in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, while PAS also made the same decision in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said that BN is ready to face GE15 at any time.

He added that the BN Supreme Council decided to retain eight parties as 'friends of BN', and was examining the application of seven parties from the 'friends of BN' to become core parties, thereby becoming candidates on the BN ticket in GE15.

Without revealing the names of the parties, he said that BN was looking at the suitability of the parties offering candidates, before reaching a formula to come to a decision in BN.

Earlier, in his opening speech, Ahmad Zahid said that BN agreed to include all the manifesto items proposed by MIC into the BN manifesto, taking into account the contribution of the Indian community to the country.

Among the manifesto items proposed by MIC is a commitment from BN to implement both the Cabinet Committee on the Socio-economic Development of Indian Community (JKMPSI) and the Indian Community Action Plan 2.0.

Meanwhile, commenting on cooperation between BN and PAS, Ahmad Zahid said that BN's stance on cooperation with PAS was that it must be comprehensive, and described the party's proposed cooperation to avoid a three-cornered clash in GE15 as a ruse.

"If you want to work together, let's work together 'comprehensively', not to avoid a three-corner (fight)," he said.

-- BERNAMA