Mr Ismail Sabri also said that parliament was dissolved so that the people could elect a new government. But this decision has been misunderstood by the opposition, he said.
“When parliament is dissolved, the opposition should be pleased as there were many accusations about the government’s legitimacy,” he said, according to Bernama.
“So, let the people now decide who should form the government. Out of the blue, they (the opposition) are not agreeing to parliament being dissolved to the extent that they want the matter taken to court. I do not understand what they really want.”
According to local media, former Klang member of parliament Charles Santiago took the issue to court last week to stop the Election Commission (EC) from holding GE15, claiming that the caretaker prime minister breached several provisions in the Federal Constitution.
An election is not due until September 2023, but Mr Ismail Sabri has been under pressure from some factions of his ruling coalition to hold the vote earlier.
UMNO’s call for an early GE15 has been criticised by the opposition and Mr Ismail Sabri’s own Cabinet members as Malaysia’s Meteorological Department has warned of floods during the north-east monsoon season.
The EC will have a special meeting on Oct 20 to discuss and set important dates for GE15 and the state by-election for Bugaya in Sabah.
Separately, it was reported that Mr Ismail Sabri remains the BN candidate for the post of prime minister in GE15.
“At the party level, the decision that Ismail Sabri is our ‘poster boy’ and candidate for the post of prime minister is final as decided by the UMNO supreme council,” the party’s president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by The Star last Sunday.