ALOR STAR: Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor today urged voters not to support those who are pushing for the 15th General Election (GE15) to be held during the monsoon.
Sanusi, who is also national Pas election director, said it was unthinkable for anyone to call for an election while the country was preparing to face floods between this month and March.
"We have received a report from the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) forecasting major floods in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak due to global warming. All agencies at the federal and state level have been ordered to make thorough preparations.
"Suddenly, someone is mad enough to push for an early election. It is sheer madness when there is someone calling for everyone to campaign during floods. He said his supporters would brave the floods if the general election was held. They have nothing better to do it seems.
"Since MetMalaysia already said the floods would last until March, why not just have the election in April? By then, all voters will be able to go out to cast their votes.
"Isn't it easier for us then to go to the ground campaigning? No need to pull up our trousers and wade through water in house-to-house campaigns," Sanusi said while closing the Kota Star district-level "Kedah Sejahtera Tour" at Masjid Nurul Ihsan in Langgar here.
Sanusi added that it was unthinkable to hold the polls during the monsoon as it would burden all quarters, including the police, which would have to manage the polls safely.
"The schools will be turned into flood evacuation centres, so we need to think where to place the ballot boxes.
"We have 800,000 policemen nationwide, and there are 700 polling centres. So there will be 100,000 policemen only to manage security. As such, I hope the polls will not be held anytime soon, not before April," he said.
Later on, Sanusi said he had informed the sultan of Kedah on Tuesday that the state assembly would not be dissolved until March.
"I have informed the sultan of Kedah that the state government will not be dissolving the state assembly until March 2023, only after that we will consider doing so.
"Tuanku (Sultan Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah) replied that it (state assembly dissolution) is the prerogative of the menteri besar and it is up to my discretion. Hence, the Kedah state assembly will not be dissolved untuk next year," he said.
The current Kedah state assembly term is supposed to end by next July.