Perak first to be granted audience to dissolve state assembly

KUALA LUMPUR: Perak is the first state to be given permission to have an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, to seek consent to dissolve the state legislative assembly, following the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for the 15th General Election (GE15), while other states are still in status quo.

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad is scheduled to have an audience with Sultan Nazrin Shah at Istana Kinta at 2 pm tomorrow, to seek His Royal Highness' consent to dissolve the state assembly.

Thus far, only state assemblies under the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, namely Perak, Pahang, and Perlis are reported to be dissolved, to enable the state and federal elections to be held simultaneously.

Currently, Pahang Menteri Besar and Perlis Menteri Besar are still waiting to be given permission to have an audience with the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, to seek the rulers' consent to dissolve their respective state assemblies.

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

Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led states, namely Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang, and states under PAS namely, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan, are reported to only be dissolved next year.

Elsewhere, Selangor was reported to not dissolve the state assembly until next year, and that matter has received the consent of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who today decreed that the administration of the state government continue until the end of the current term to focus its attention on the welfare and well-being of the people.

Yesterday, Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, announced the dissolution of Parliament after receiving the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, during an audience on Sunday.

Following the dissolution of Parliament, Ismail Sabri urged heads of state governments, except Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Johor, to dissolve their respective state assemblies to enable state and federal elections to be held simultaneously.

-- BERNAMA