KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — The federal government today dismissed speculation of an early nationwide poll despite the dissolution of the state legislative assemblies in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said there have been no discussions on holding an early general election.

“At this time, there are no discussions regarding any effort to hold an early general election,” the government spokesman said at the Communications Ministry here this afternoon.

The clarification comes amid heightened political attention following the dissolution of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state assemblies, which has fuelled speculation over possible spillover effects on federal politics.

Fahmi said the federal coalition government remains stable and unaffected by recent developments.

“There is no impact on the Unity government at the federal level,” he said, adding that the administration continues to function normally, including at Cabinet meetings.

He noted that the dissolutions in Johor and Negeri Sembilan followed constitutional processes after the respective menteri besar obtained royal assent from their state rulers.

Fahmi also moved to dispel speculation that a Cabinet photo session earlier today was linked to preparations for a parliamentary dissolution.

“That’s incorrect. So, the prime minister informed today that it was his wish for a photo session as there were new ministers being appointed into the Cabinet,” he said.

“The appointments and reshuffling were made last December and there wasn’t an opportunity to have a photo session.

“So the photo session has nothing to do with Parliament being dissolved. The timing was simply convenient as ministers were already gathered in Putrajaya for the ceremonial parade event and were dressed in official attire.

“There is no issue. It is a normal matter and has nothing to do with the dissolution of Parliament,” he added.

When asked about the annual PKR congress, Fahmi said any decision on its scheduling would be discussed at the party’s central leadership council meeting in Johor tomorrow.

“So let’s wait for tomorrow,” he said.

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest

Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.

Victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career.

More Americans than ever think the environment is in bad shape, and they want the government to do something about it. According to a new Gallup poll released last week, only 35% of U.S. adults rate the overall quality of the environment as good or excellent. That’s the lowest number Gallup has recorded since it started asking the question in 2001.

It’s not just one or two things people are worried about. Drinking water, rivers and lakes, climate change, air pollution, endangered species. Concerns are on the rise across the board.

What People Are Most Worried About

Water is the top concern, and it has been for over two decades. More than half of Americans — 56% — say they worry “a great deal” about drinking water pollution. Another 53% say the same about the country’s fresh water supply. Half are deeply worried about pollution in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

Climate change isn’t far behind. A companion Gallup climate report finds that 44% of Americans worry “a great deal” about global warming, close to the all-time high of 46% recorded in 2020. Two out of three Americans say they worry at least “a fair amount.”

The poll also found that 57% of Americans now think the government is doing too little to protect the environment. That’s up from 50% just a year ago, a significant jump in a short time and in the face of an administration dedicated to dismantling U.S. environmental regulations.

While Democrats worry more than Republicans on nearly every issue, independent voters — often the key swing group in elections — have shifted sharply toward deep concern about the nation’s direction: 61% now say the government isn’t doing enough, up from 52% last year.

So What Has Congress Actually Done?

While public concern has been rising, the 119th Congress, which took office in January 2025 with Republicans in control of both chambers, has been rolling back environmental protections at a record pace.

The main tool has been the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a law that lets Congress cancel recently issued regulations with a simple majority vote. In 2025 alone, Congress passed 22 CRA resolutions into law, more than the total number of successful CRA rollbacks in the entire prior history of the law. Most targeted the EPA.

Among the protections eliminated: a rule charging oil and gas companies for methane pollution, standards regulating hazardous air emissions from rubber tire manufacturing, and California’s authority to set stricter vehicle emissions standards, overturned despite a determination by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that those waivers weren’t even legally subject to repeal.

Meanwhile, pro-environment bills have gone nowhere. The Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act, which would require fossil fuel companies to pay into a $1 trillion climate fund, has gone undebated in committee since January 2025. The Clean Competition Act, a bipartisan carbon border adjustment that would reward cleaner American manufacturers, has also stalled.

The public says it wants more action on the environment. Congress has delivered less.

Tell Your Lawmakers How You Feel

The good news: this is exactly the kind of issue where public pressure can matter. Here’s how to make your voice heard:

• Find your senators and representative and contact them by phone or email.
• Check your lawmakers’ environmental voting records at the League of Conservation Voters Scorecard.
• Ask specifically whether they support fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund and passing the Clean Competition Act.
• Share the Gallup poll results with friends, neighbors, and on social media. Public awareness drives political action. Take a stand for the environment you want.

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