MELAKA: The Melaka State Legislative Assembly has been dissolved on Oct 4, thus making way for a state election.

Speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Mohd Ali Rustam has pondered and decided to dissolve the State Assembly upon advice from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali yesterday.

Ab Rauf said a letter was sent to Mohd Ali yesterday to notify him about the four Melaka assemblymen who declared that they have lost confidence in Sulaiman and to seek his consent for the dissolution of the State Assembly.

"The Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam has pondered and consented to the dissolution of the 14th State Legislative Assembly of Melaka on Monday, Oct 4, 2021," he told a special press conference at Seri Negeri here today.

Ab Rauf said the Proclamation of the Dissolution of the 14th Melaka State Legislative Assembly was gazetted today, Oct 5.

At the press conference, Ab Rauf also submitted the proclamation of the dissolution to Melaka Election Commission (EC) director Rudy Rohan Johan @ Ganesan.

On having a state election during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ab Rauf said the EC could propose the best standard operating procedures to the National Security Council and Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

He said the existing state government would act as a caretaker government until after the state election.

Yesterday, four Melaka assemblymen declared that they have lost confidence in Sulaiman's leadership, hence causing the state government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) to collapse.

The assemblymen are former Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas).

Prior to this, the BN held 17 seats in the 28-seat State Assembly, namely 14 from UMNO, two from Bersatu and one Independent, while the opposition had 11 comprising DAP (seven), PKR (two) and Amanah (two).

-- BERNAMA