DAP Proposes Concurrent Parliamentary and State Elections for GE16 – Loke

SEREMBAN – The Democratic Action Party (DAP) has proposed that the 16th General Election (GE16) for both Parliamentary and State Assembly (DUN) seats be held concurrently with several state elections.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said such a move would help reduce costs while ensuring smoother election processes.

“In our nation’s history, separate elections (for Parliament and state assemblies) have never happened before. Both were always held together, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, except for Sabah and Sarawak.

“This would ensure smooth elections, cut costs, and of course, politically, we want to maximise the chances of winning,” he told reporters after officiating the Negeri Sembilan DAP Convention at a hotel here on Sunday.

He urged state leaders under the Unity Government to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister, noting that the proposal has yet to be formally raised with party leadership.

“Although each state assembly has the right and power to decide when to dissolve, my position as a DAP leader is that it would be better if states under our administration hold discussions with the Prime Minister so that elections can be conducted simultaneously.

“For some states (Melaka, Johor, and Sarawak), their terms will end soon except Sabah. So, if elections are to be held together with Parliament, it will have to be brought forward,” he said.

However, he added that the final decision lies with the Prime Minister’s prerogative, though he did not rule out the possibility that GE16 could indeed be held concurrently.

The Seremban MP also reminded party members to be ready from now.

“If elections are held together, everything can be done at once, which reduces costs—especially logistical costs. That’s what we saw in GE15. So, I feel it is more appropriate and responsible to hold them simultaneously to save costs,” he said.

For the record, GE15 was held specifically for Parliamentary seats on 19 November 2022, while state elections were held separately by different states.

Sabah was the first to hold early elections on 26 September 2020, followed by Melaka on 20 November 2021 and Sarawak on 18 December 2021. Johor dissolved its assembly early and held polls on 12 March 2022.

Later, six states dissolved their assemblies simultaneously, with elections on 12 August 2023 — three under Pakatan Harapan (Penang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan) and three under Perikatan Nasional (Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu).

— Agency