No Malaysian State Assembly Dissolved So Far As Some Opt Out

None of the Malaysian states has dissolved its legislature as of yet, even as some administrations have filed appropriate requests to respective royal palaces, the Star reports. Most states typically terminate the terms of their assemblies when a general election is called. Federal parliament was dissolved on Monday.

• Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) of the Perikatan Nasional alliance said it will not dissolve the three state assemblies under its control, namely Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah. Selangor and Negri Sembilan, controlled by the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) bloc, have also decided against dissolving their legislatures. The administration of opposition-ruled Penang is still in talks with PH's central leadership, trying to convince them to go ahead with a snap poll. Four states - Sabah, Sarawak, Johor and Melaka - will not dissolve their assemblies because they held their elections in the last two years. The only assemblies that are on track to be dissolved are those in Pahang, Perlis and Perak, which are ruled by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri's Barisan Nasional alliance.
• The Star notes that this is the first time in Malaysia's history that there is such confusion about the timing of state elections. The relatively centralised nature of Malaysian federalism means that the direct fiscal implications of state elections would be limited. Still, the unprecedented scale of refusal to dissolve state assemblies highlights deepening antagonisms on the federal level, which may create obstacles to a smooth passage of Budget 2023 should a "hung parliament" scenario materialise after the general election.