by Safra Sulaiman

Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering. — Paulo Coelho

In March 2008, I accompanied my brother and sisters to cast their first-time votes. It was so exciting! We sat under a green umbrella on a blue chair. I was 21 years old then but was not able to cast my vote in the election because I was born in December. Therefore, I am among those who are so excited to know when the next election is!

I have been waiting for the date of the 13th general election (GE) since last year. When it was agreed to marry off my sister in June 2012, we were truly worried if the wedding would coincide with the GE. I even consulted some clerics on the priority between the walimah and the general election. Fortunately, my sister’s wedding went well and she and her husband are now counting the days of parenthood.

As of now, I have yet to hear a date for GE13 and so do you, my well-meaning Malaysian compatriots.

Well, this year it is my turn to get married. At the engagement last December, our families conferred when to fix a suitable wedding date. January and February were a little too early for our preparations since both my fiancée and I had just begun working. Thus, the school holidays in March are a good choice.

But oops, my father thought of the GE! Could it be February or March 2013? You see, the last GE was on March 8, 2008. Therefore, after discussing this within the national and religious and family contexts, both sides thus agreed to hold our wedding during the school holidays in May.

Why not April? The school holiday period is very convenient for family gatherings. Second, Parliament began on April 28, 2008; in case Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not dissolve Parliament by then, it will be automatically dissolve on April 28 this year. Since both sides had agreed on the school holidays, we did not discuss further the next scenario; the 60 days after the automatic dissolution of Parliament. For a young and budding lawyer who has just been newly admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor in Peninsular Malaysia, the 60-day period after the automatic dissolution never crossed my mind. Was I thinking too much about my upcoming wedding? Or is it because automatic dissolution has never happened in Malaysian history? As a young Malaysian eager to cast my vote for the first time, please forgive me for my naivety. I did not even think it will happen!

The parliamentary term is five years. According to Article 55(3) of the Federal Constitution, “Parliament unless sooner dissolved shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting and shall then stand dissolved.”

Therefore, because the current Parliament held its first meeting on April 28, 2008, it shall automatically “stand dissolved” on April 28, 2013. As it is an instance of automatic dissolution, no action by any person is required to trigger it. In addition, by virtue of Article 55(4) of the Constitution, the 13th general election “shall be held within 60 days from the date of the dissolution of Parliament”. Hence, the last date on which the 13th GE can legally be held is June 28, 2013.

Our wedding ceremony has been tentatively set for the last week of May i.e. the first week of the school holidays.

Do you think that date will be the 13th GE?

How ironic, my worry regarding my sister’s wedding date is now my very own worry! If the dates clash, my citizen-guests will feel it is their obligation to cast their votes to elect a better government than to come to my wedding. My immediate relatives are from distant states. And my friends, too! Can they come? Will they?

At the moment, I am in utter disappointment as there is no announcement by the PM with regards to the date for the coming general election. I shall be doubly disappointed if Parliament is automatically dissolved because this will increase the chances of a possible clash between my wedding date and the election date.

How many votes are lost if the election falls on the date of our walimah at my home in Kelantan or at his home in KL for the sambut menantu the week after. This is the problem when only the PM knows when the GE is. The rakyat deserves to know because our lives are affected in many ways too. The GE is a matter so close to our hearts.

Please, to whom it may concern, I need to know when the election date is so I can fix a date for my most memorable day. I am designing my invitation card and the date is still blank.

Can someone help me to fix the wedding (election) date?

* Safra Sulaiman is one of the few million newly registered voters for the coming, much-awaited 13th general election. She advocates Negara Berkebajikan.

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* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist and this article first appeared on The Malaysian Insider