KUALA LUMPUR: MCA is ready to face the Melaka State Election even though its stand is that it is not the right time to hold it.
MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon said the Barisan Nasional (BN) component member had no choice on the matter as the date for the polls had already been finalised by the Election Commission (EC).
He said in the spirit of democracy, MCA will also work hard under the BN banner in facing the polls.
"Although this is not the right time to hold a state election because the country is still facing the Covid-19 pandemic, the date of the state election has been announced.
"So MCA is ready and will work hard to face it," he told BH today.
EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh earlier today announced Nov 20 as the polling day for the Melaka state polls with the nomination taking place on Nov 8 and the early voting on Nov 16.
The campaign period will be 12 days starting from nomination day until 11.59pm on Nov 19.
The Melaka state election will involve 495,196 voters and the EC estimates that the process will cost RM46 million.
The Melaka state assembly was dissolved on Oct 4 when four government state assemblymen announced a loss of confidence and withdrew support for the leadership of the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
The quartet are Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas).
Idris, Nor Azman and Noor Effandi have since been sacked by their respective parties for their action.
On Oct 5, the Election Commission (EC) received an official notification on the dissolution of the 14th Melaka State Assembly.
A state election must be held within 60 days from the date of the dissolution.
The State Assembly was dissolved by Speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh on Oct 4, after it was agreed by Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
Before dissolution, the government bench had 17 representatives – 14 from Umno, two from Bersatu and one independent.
The opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) had 11 representatives – seven from DAP and two each from PKR and Amanah.
The Melaka State Assembly has 28 seats and a simple majority would require a pact to garner 15 seats.
In GE14, Pakatan Harapan won the most seats in the Melaka State Assembly, forming the first non-BN state government on May 11, 2018.
However, the PH state government lost its majority on March 2, which saw the BN form a new state government until its dissolution on Oct 4.
