All signs are pointing to the reality that GE15’s footsteps are now within earshot.

The Registrar of Societies has agreed to the resolution of the May 15 Umno special general assembly to postpone the party’s election originally slated for November 30 this year at the latest, to within six months after the next general election.

The RoS move has brought joy back to Umno and somewhat defused the tense atmosphere within the party.

Nevertheless, this does not mean the 15th general election will be deferred to next year. On the contrary, the momentum to bring on a general election this year is gathering pace, even if the date to dissolve the parliament keeps changing, including the date to table next year’s Budget.

According to the parliament’s schedule, the date to table the 2023 Budget is still October 28.

A source close to Umno said things should clear up a little after August 21.

The source nevertheless confirmed that BN had fired up its election machinery, with Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan already starting his nationwide campaign trail.

BN has fixed a meeting at its headquarters at World Trade Centre KL at 8 p.m. August 15. Prior to that, various component parties have had several rounds of seat allocation talks. The 11 parliamentary and 33 state seats contested by Gerakan in the last election are expected to be distributed among Umno, MCA, MIC and Friends of BN this time.

Meanwhile, Umno’s Top 5, namely its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan and three VPs Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Mahdzir Khalid, will continue to meet to finalize the date for the next Budget.

After reaching an accord with the other party leaders, the prime minister will make a final decision on the date to dissolve the parliament, followed by an audience with His Majesty for royal consent.

The source said the Umno Top 5 had agreed that GE15 could be held anytime if the Budget is to be tabled before October 28.

“The Top 5 have also struck a consensus that Ismail Sabri is BN’s candidate for prime minister.”

A source has earlier told Sin Chew Daily that the PM has always wanted to have the election after the Budget, although the other party leaders have wanted the election as early as possible, and not dragged into next year.

“There are currently three options for the date of tabling the Budget: the first and third weeks of October, or brought forward to September.”

According to the source, whichever date for the Budget, the parliament will be dissolved either immediately after or on the following day.

PM Ismail, who was in no rush for an election initially, has changed his tone of late. He said if PN were to withdraw its support for the government, the parliament would be dissolved right away to pave way for fresh election.

A source close to PN told Sin Chew Daily participants at its latest supreme council meeting were indeed very unhappy with the PM for not honoring the agreement (to appoint a DPM). Some even felt they should withdraw their support for the government.

However, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is currently on vacation in London, has yet to make a decision.

The source said it was exactly what Ahmad Zahid et al had wanted, if PN were to withdraw its support for the government.

Like PH and other opposition parties, Muhyiddin still hopes the election will be held only next year so as not to give BN an easy way out.

But all signs are pointing to the reality that GE15’s footsteps are now within earshot!

DAP sec-gen Anthony Loke, who has earlier doubted that the parliament could be dissolved this year, now says he expects the election anytime within the next three months, and hopes PH leaders will gear up for the election and finalize a common logo soon.

Loke says his party’s election committee meeting last Friday instructed state election committees to get fully prepped.

The election is not going to address the many problems of Malaysians. It is at best offering a stage for politicians to engage in their power-grabbing craze. Whoever wins the day must still fix the utter chaos it has created.

Beset by the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the increasingly taut Sino-American tension, our world is slowly sinking into a ginormous depression.

With the global economy and peace very much hanging by a thread today, all we want is a stable and effective government that will lead us through the bigger, looming economic threats ahead.

We want a government that is moderate, able to unite the nation and not trifling with Malaysians’ future.

There won’t be any honeymoon period for the new government. It must put itself in the work mode right away. No more dilly-dally, seriously!