Refusing to dissolve assemblies could lead to prolonged political conflict

KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran politician Tan Sri Mohd Yussof Latiff described the action of several state governments refusing to dissolve state assemblies would drag the people into prolonged political conflict.

He said the state government should give the voting power to the people by holding simultaneous elections so that stable federal and state governments could be formed.

"State governments that refuse to dissolve state assemblies such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan only have six months left to remain in power.

"It's not even a long period, the actions and decisions of the state leadership only cost the people money," he told Bernama when contacted yesterday.

Meanwhile, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Izani Mohd Zain said political party that won seats at the parliamentary level would have an advantage in influencing voters during state polls if the state and parliamentary elections were not held concurrently.

States that have yet to dissolve their assemblies need to think rationally because separate elections would only put pressure on them, he said.

"If they agree to dissolve the state assembly, it is not a defeat for them but rather a proper action to see the democratic process takes place more calmly and smoothly," he said when appearing as a guest on the 'Ruang Bicara' talk show on Bernama TV.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Law and Policy lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Fathi Yusof, who also appeared as a guest on the show, believes that there is a tendency for voters to give the state government power to a party that is different from the one that won at the federal level.

Senior lecturer at UTM Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Dr Muhammed Fauzi Othman said that it would be difficult for any political party or political coalition in Malaysia to get a majority mandate with the birth of sophisticated voters who are more sensitive to their rights and needs.

The situation clearly shows that the country is now going through the phase of democratic maturity in line with the changing times, he said.

"In this phase, the community starts to realise about different rights and needs. In the past, our only desire was to achieve independence and then focus on nation-building.

"However, the postmodernist generation witnessed many young people getting more interested in broader and flexible gig economy and not having permanent power or leadership, even from a political point of view they are different because they focus more on freedom and justice," he said.

He said this when appearing as a guest on the 'Malaysia Petang Ini' programme on Bernama TV.

-- BERNAMA