OCTOBER 11 — As he did after the 8th Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on August 6 last year, the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali again outlined the roles and functions of a caretaker government following the dissolution of Parliament on Monday.
Mohd Zuki said that the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob would continue to function as a caretaker government.
“Ministers and deputy ministers will function as usual in the caretaker government. Just that they (Cabinet) cannot make any decisions on new policy matters,” he said when asked for his opinion on the function of the Cabinet after the dissolution.
The same was also said by Constitutional experts when asked by the media.
As explained by the experts and Mohd Zuki himself last year, the concept itself is not found in the Federal Constitution. Only that it is based on conventions and conventions are the unwritten rules and are part of the Constitution.
With Parliament dissolved, the general election will have to be held within 60 days. The Election Commission (EC) is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for Polling Day.
Rumours circulating on social media for the past few days have claimed Nomination Day would be held on October 22, and polling on November 5. A previous rumour said polling would be held on November 12.
The caretaker government is expected to be more "visible" to the people who will transition into electorates, especially after Nomination Day and until Polling Day, which is expected to be before the start of the monsoon season in mid-November.
Will the caretaker government be visible to the people after polling results are released by the EC and until a new government is sworn in? The results of the general election and who forms the new government are not as predictable as the weather.
According to National Professors Council member Prof Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood, there is a view that says the caretaker government is still functioning as long as no new government is appointed while other opinion says that the caretaker government ends on polling day.
Nik Ahmad Kamal himself is more inclined to the first view because the government machinery should continue to function during election day and after that until a new government is appointed with the prime minister sworn in.
Until then, will the caretaker government be as resolute as before its transition, especially after Polling Day results are known, and when the weatherman's forecast becomes a reality even before mid-November, and hard times hit the nation, again?
God forbids, but only time will tell. It will test the concept and character of the caretaker government in the country.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
