Source: Parliament dissolution was not discussed during PM’s audience with Agong

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob did not discuss the dissolution of Parliament or the date of the general election (GE15) during today’s audience at Istana Negara, a source has said.

A well-placed source from the prime minister’s team told Malay Mail that this afternoon’s meeting was centred on the “usual matters” involving the Cabinet and the country’s administration.

“(Parliament) dissolution was not discussed,” said the source.

Meanwhile, Istana Negara uploaded a photo of the meeting to its official Facebook page, saying that the Agong only received the prime minister for a pre-Cabinet meeting.

The pre-Cabinet meeting is one of His Majesty’s main weekly engagements, where he discusses and shares his opinions with the prime minister regarding matters and issues related to the government.

Earlier, Malaysiakini had quoted Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin as saying that today’s audience was just a pre-Cabinet briefing.

Also today, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had said that he wanted the Ministry of Environment and Water to pay attention to the country’s early warning disaster system in preparation for floods.

Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the Agong also decreed that attention should be given to the process of distributing aid and assistance to the people in the event of floods.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri had said today that matters related to the dissolution of Parliament would only be discussed during his audience with the Agong “if the time permits”.

Umno’s push for a general election this year has been met with criticism from the other political parties as well as Malaysians as memories of last year’s flood emergency across the country remain fresh in their minds.