azmin barisan

PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister had requested the King for consent to dissolve parliament without consulting Perikatan Nasional Ministers, says Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.

The Senior Minister said that the Cabinet had discussed Parliament’s dissolution on Sept 21 and decided to focus on the economic recovery and the welfare of the people when facing the floods.

“The Cabinet meeting on Sept 7 agreed that dissolution of Parliament must be made in consultation with the Cabinet before the Prime Minister requests the King for consent to dissolve.

“(Prime Minister) Ismail Sabri had announced this to the public before, stating that Barisan Nasional is no longer a coalition that forms the government on its own.

“The stand of the Perikatan Cabinet ministers to reject the dissolution was a confirmation of the Cabinet meeting decision on Sept 21.

“Why then does Ismail Sabri now dispute the stand of the 12 Perikatan ministers which was the decision of the Cabinet? Obviously, this new stand of Ismail Sabri’s is from the push by the Umno president,” said Azmin in a statement Wednesday (Oct 12).

According to the Star, on Oct 5, 12 Perikatan Cabinet ministers from Bersatu and PAS sent a letter to Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to request His Majesty not to consent to polls during the north-east monsoon season due to floods and to focus on economic recovery.

However, Ismail Sabri said the action of the PN Cabinet ministers in sending a letter to the King caused `disharmony` in the Cabinet.