Our prime minister Ismail Yaakob ruled out the possibility of bringing forwards GE15 before food prices and living costs rise yesterday (May 31).
In an interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo, prime minister said he was still waiting for the right moment to dismiss parliament.
He explained that the inflation and rise in the cost of living are believed to be the result of the war between Russia and Ukraine causing tensions across the globe.
“We're facing inflation right now, commodity prices are soaring… Do you think this is the right time to hold an election?” the Prime Minister said.
According to previous media reports, Bank Negara Malaysia expects inflation to be between 2.2% and 3.2% this year, with commodity prices rising by about 4.3%.
Prime Minister will still listen to party and cabinet decisions
Ismail, who is also Umno's vice-chairman, also said he was under pressure from some quarters in the party to dismiss parliament early.
He further stated that the dismissal of Parliament cannot exceed the period allowed by the Federal Constitution (August 2023), but will also need to depend on the current situation.
Apart from this, he also said that he will obey the wishes of his party and he will listen to the decisions of Umno and the Cabinet regarding this issue.