The Sarawak state legislative assembly will be dissolved on Monday to pave the way a state election, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said today.
Abdul Taib said he had submitted a notice about the matter to Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng recently.
The Election Commission (EC) would decide on the dates for the nomination and polling, he said, ending months of speculations on the state election.
Abdul Taib made the announcement at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at Kuching International Airport here.
Najib and Muhyiddin, who arrived last night, attended a host of programmes with the people today. The current term of the state assembly expires on July 23. The last state election was held on May 20, 2006.
Earlier in Serian, Taib said that he will lead the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming state election to ensure a proper leadership transition in the state.
"I will lead the election to make sure that a new blood can come up, who can form a team and work for the country," he said at the Kota Samarahan-level launching of the "Sejiwa Senada" programme..
The programme, launched by Najib, aims at fostering closer contact between the people and civil servants through the promotion of government services in a one-stop service centre.
Taib said orderly leadership transition would ensure efforts to bring Sarawak to a higher level of development, and bring about better living condition to the people, would continue even though there was a change in the state leadership.
Taib said his ambition was supported by his contemporaries in the state who wanted to see the new leadership to strive to fulfil the people's aspirations. -- Bernama
