AMPANG, July 26 — Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said his coalition was prepared for an early general election despite its continued reservations about holding one in the current political climate.

The PKR president cited recent developments such as the perceived stifling of press freedom in the country to support his coalition’s rejection of a snap poll.

“As you see, we are prepared. That is why we have launched this information convention to strengthen our machinery. 

“We are not taking chances,” he said. 

A general election is not due until 2023 but Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is believed to be considering one by the first quarter of next year to secure his personal mandate to govern.

Anwar cited the recent incident involving Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera that is under investigation here for allegedly producing a documentary without a licence that authorities claimed it needed under the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) Act 1981. 

He also pointed out that the country, along with the rest of the world, was still in the midst of a pandemic.

“We have Covid-19 and policies that are now regressive, for example, they may disagree with Al Jazeera; they have the right to question and disagree and come out with the statement.

“But harassment against journalists is not acceptable,” he told reporters after launching the Keadilan Information Convention in De Palma Hotel, Ampang.  

Al Jazeera aired a documentary titled Locked up in Malaysia’s Lockdown on July 3 that alleged the mistreatment of migrants during the movement control order here.

The government responded by accusing the news outlet of bias and misrepresentation, before launching investigations against Al Jazeera.