Minister who rejects PM’s election timing should resign, says Hassan

Malaysian ministers who reject the prime minister’s decision on when to dissolve Parliament and hold the 16th general election should resign, Pasir Gudang lawmaker Hassan Abdul Karim said.

Hassan argued that resignation would be the more reasonable and dignified course for any minister, including a deputy prime minister, who openly presses for an earlier election. Cabinet members are bound by the doctrine of collective ministerial responsibility under Article 43(3) of the Federal Constitution, he said.

If a minister and the minister’s party disagree with the prime minister’s stated decision to hold the election only after Parliament completes its term, Hassan said the minister must either accept the government’s position or leave office. He said collective responsibility requires the Cabinet to act as one team rather than display open disagreement.

“

The reasonable and dignified thing for that person to do is to resign as a minister of the federal government.

Hassan also distinguished collective Cabinet responsibility from the individual responsibilities ministers hold in government administration. He said the timing of Parliament’s dissolution and the election falls under the prime minister’s authority to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, under Articles 40(1) and 40(2)(b) of the Constitution.

He added that even a minister who leads a major party in the governing coalition has no right to publicly pressure the prime minister to call the election according to that minister’s preference. If the disagreement cannot be resolved in Cabinet, Hassan said, the minister must choose between accepting the government’s decision and resigning.

“

The prime minister has the power to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament and hold the 16th general election.