Malaysian PM announces dissolution of parliament

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (Source: TallyPress)

Hanoi (VNA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on April 6 that the country’s Parliament will be dissolved to pave the way for a general election.

In a televised speech delivered after a special cabinet meeting, Najib said he has already acquired the consent of King Sultan Muhammad V to dissolve the parliament. Accordingly, the legislative body will be dissolved on April 7 and Malaysia’s Election Commission will set the polling day.

Normally, a general election will be held within 60 days from the dissolution of the parliament. Voters will elect the 222-member House of Representatives, the lower house of the parliament. 

After Malaysia gained independence in 1957, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which is now led by Najib, has won every election.
In the upcoming election, Najib is facing former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who quit UMNO in 2016 and later joined the opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan or Pact of Hope (PH), as the chairman of a new party called Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. 

The PH named Mahathir Mohamad as its prime minister candidate for the election. If elected, Mahathir, 92, will become the oldest Prime Minister in the world.

More than 64,000 police will be deployed nationwide to ensure security during the election. Along with personnel mobilisation, Malaysia police also held training courses prior to the election.-VNA