KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 ― The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) today said it is against holding any election in Melaka for the time being, following the dissolution of the state assembly.

Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai said that while the majority of the population have been vaccinated, daily cases are still in the thousands and the daily death toll is still in the hundreds.

"As far as the medical fraternity is concerned, we are dead against a state election being held during this time, not at least till the current situation returns to near normal,” Dr Koh said in a statement.

He also hit out at politicians who triggered the dissolution of the state assembly, calling them out for acting irresponsibly and only for their self-interests.

"Selfish and irresponsible is how one can describe politicians in the Melaka state assembly who decided to put 'self' above the nation and stir the political pot at this time when the nation is seemingly on the road to recovery from the pandemic.

"Having a state election now would be like going ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire!” he added.

Dr Koh said a state election now will put an enormous strain on the already stretched health industry and medical frontliners.

He also pointed out that the MPs had not adhered to the truce agreed upon in the Memorandum of Understanding to avoid any elections and party hopping and to foster cooperation as long as the pandemic is still rife.

Four assemblymen withdrew support for Umno’s Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali as Melaka chief minister earlier this week. They are: Datuk Seri Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundur), Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas), and Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).

Idris was the chief minister prior to Sulaiman. Both he and Nor Azman are from Umno while Noor Effendi is from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

Norhizam was formerly from DAP prior to becoming an independent.