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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday (December 16) to halt by-elections in two constituencies scheduled for next month, as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases in recent months. .
The country has seen a sharp increase in cases since September, with the total number of infections topping 86,000 and with 422 deaths as of Tuesday.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement that the king had accepted the request to impose an emergency in the Bugaya constituency in Sabah, the state that health authorities believe was the epicenter of the country’s third wave of infections, and the Gerik constituency in Perak state. .
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The government had declared a state of emergency in another constituency in Sabah last month, also to stop a scheduled by-election.
In October, King Al-Sultan Abdullah rejected an attempt by Muhyiddin to impose a state of emergency across the country in response to rising coronavirus cases, and critics accused the prime minister of trying to block a potential showdown in parliament earlier. of a crucial budget vote.
Muhyiddin managed to pass his 2021 budget on Tuesday with a two-vote majority in parliament.
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