Loke says he wasn't overstepping Agong, only highlighting pressure placed by PM's comrades

SHAH ALAM - DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke denies disrespecting the King in regards to the dissolution of Parliament and call for a General Election as argued by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri.

The Seremban MP said he has never questioned the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's discretionary powers and only pointed out that Ismail Sabri was pressured by his own party to hold the polls as soon as possible.

"I have never disputed that the power to dissolve Parliament lies with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. That is enshrined in our Federal Constitution,” he said.

He said those who have been pressuring the Prime Minister to dissolve Parliament were Umno leaders and yet, DAP were being blamed.

He questioned why his party were being blamed for this.

"I think that the PM’s statement today is actually intended for Umno leaders who have been pressuring him to dissolve Parliament.

"Except he can’t say that Umno doesn’t respect the Agong, so DAP has instead become a victim of Umno’s internal conflict," Loke said on his Facebook page last night.

Loke said he was merely criticising Ismail Sabri because he has been giving mixed signals and inconsistent statements.

Ismail Sabri told reporters yesterday that DAP was being disrespectful to the Agong in asking him to announce a date for GE15, in which he said it would be surpassing the Agong's constitutional authority.

Loke had called Ismail Sabri a 'flip-flop' for sending mixed signals on the elections, first telling Nikkei last month that it was not the right time for Malaysia to have an early polls as the country was facing rising inflation but later said he would not wait a second longer to dissolve Parliament if Barisan Nasional were ready.

Malaysia is not due for an election until September 2023.