Hamzah Predicts Anwar Will Call GE16 by August 2027

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin believes Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will call the 16th general election (GE16) by August next year amid growing tensions between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Umno.

In an interview with BFM Radio, the Wawasan president said Anwar might not be able to hold the unity government together beyond 2027, noting that PH MPs had begun questioning Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his court cases. In January, the Attorney-General’s Chambers decided to take no further action on 47 charges against Zahid, a move criticised by DAP leaders.

Budget and SEA Games Seen as Election Signals

Hamzah suggested Anwar could use the 2027 SEA Games, scheduled for Sept 18 to 29, to build public goodwill before calling polls, though he said he was not sure it would happen.

He also pointed to the “goodies” in Budget 2027 and the Election Commission’s allocation, which rose to RM367 million from RM167 million a year earlier. GE16 must be held by February 2028.