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KUALA LUMPUR: Creating a new law to postpone elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic will go against the federal Constitution, says Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan.
The minister of the Prime Minister’s Department in a written response to Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (BN-Padang Terap) said that the creation of a bill to postpone an election during the Covid-19 pandemic was contrary and inconsistent with the Federal Constitution. .
He also noted that amendments to the constitution to delay elections would require the support of a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
As an alternative, Takiyuddin, who is in charge of the law, said that the postponement of the elections could occur if the Covid-19 pandemic is considered an emergency as provided in Article 150 (1) of the Federal Constitution.
Mahdzir has asked Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin if the government intends to amend the constitution or pass a new law to postpone general elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic to slow the spread of the virus.
On October 25, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah decided that it was not necessary to declare a state of emergency in the country.
The king’s decision was made after consulting with the Malaysian rulers on a proposal raised by Muhyiddin on October 23.
Several opposition leaders claimed that Muhyiddin was seeking an emergency declaration to suspend the political process as a means to avoid a possible defeat of the 2021 Budget to be presented on Friday (November 6).
The election postponement issue comes in the wake of the third wave of Covid-19 and a recent spike in cases attributed to the Sabah elections in September.
Now there are concerns about the campaign during Batu Sapi’s upcoming parliamentary parliamentary elections on December 5.
Adding to the concerns are the Sarawak state elections, due to be held next year.
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