Malaysia’s trade chief says ‘we need more time’ before calling election for economy to recover

Azmin Ali, Malaysia’s trade and industry minister, said the Southeast Asian nation’s economy ‘is just about recovering’ from the Covid-19 pandemic

Meaning a general election – which some in his ruling coalition have been calling for – was not on the cards any time soon

Reading Time:2 minutes

Azmin Ali, Malaysia’s trade and industry minister, said there was a ‘need to discuss when is the right time to call for an election’. Photo: Bernama via dpa

Published: 12:04pm, 12 Sep 2022

Malaysia’s trade chief recommended giving the Southeast Asian economy more time to recover from the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic before holding a general election in order to prioritise helping its citizens.

An early election has yet to be brought up in Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet, but aides had discussions and want to emphasise to the leader the need for more time before a national vote, according to Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali.

Polls currently aren’t scheduled until September 2023, but factions within Umno, the main party in the ruling coalition, have repeatedly called for an early election. Ismail has resisted moving up a vote until very recently when the budget was brought forward, raising speculation he was giving in his party’s demands.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob waves to the crowds during National Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur last month. Photo: Bernama via dpa

“The economy is just about recovering, and we need more time to ensure that we can provide better assistance to people,” Azmin said on Friday in an interview in Los Angeles, where he attended the launch of negotiations among 14 countries for the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

Ismail has previously said it won’t be easy for the ruling coalition if a vote is called soon, given concerns about inflation and the controversy over a much-delayed warship project. He told local media on Sunday he has yet to discuss the date for the elections with the Umno leadership and other coalition parties, though polls were “getting closer”.

“I’m not in a position to speak on behalf of his party, but as a government we want to make sure that we do our utmost to support the needs of the people,” said Azmin, whose Bersatu party is a member of the ruling coalition.

Azmin noted that Malaysia’s economy is among the best performers in Asean, the political and economic union of 10 countries in the region, posting an 8.9 per cent growth rate from April through June, the fastest clip in a year.