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KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rulers will hold a special meeting in Istana Negara here to discuss the government’s plan to declare a state of emergency to address the worsening Covid-19 situation.
The meeting, which is scheduled to begin today at 2.30 pm, will be informal and will only involve the rulers.
It will not include Yang di-Pertuas Negeri or any politician.
Palace sources said that while His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has the final say on the statement, he first wanted to get the opinion of the sultans.
“In fact, it’s more of a gathering than a special gathering,” said a palace source.
At least six sultans are understood to have confirmed their attendance, but most of the rulers will almost certainly be present.
It is known with certainty that the King would hand over the decision to the Prime Minister after the meeting.
The proposed emergency could mean the suspension of Parliament and the cessation of all political activities, but not economic and other activities.
There will be no curfew and no strong army and police presence in the streets.
On Friday, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and several ministers presented to the King the emergency plan in Istana Abdul Aziz Indera Mahkota in Kuantan.
They were accompanied by Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun and Director General of the Ministry of Health, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah.
On October 16, the King had expressed his dismay at the actions of some politicians and had advised them “to reflect on their actions so that the country is not drawn into political uncertainty.”
The Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, also intervened, expressing concern about the endless politicking, noting that people were “bored and disgusted with politicians.”
Earlier on Friday, the Cabinet decided to adopt a proposal to proceed with the Emergency to combat the pandemic and halt political activities, including the Batu Sapi by-elections in Sabah and the impending state elections in Sarawak.
Analysts said that the Electoral Commission had no power to stop the elections except with the declaration of Emergency, as health experts have expressed fear that the Covid-19 pandemic will spiral out of control if elections are held.
This happened during the recent Sabah elections.
Malaysia will not be the only country to impose an emergency to combat Covid-19.
Eighty other countries have enacted it to varying degrees.
These include France, Spain, Belgium, Romania, Austria, Argentina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, the Philippines, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Luxembourg, Georgia, and Japan.
Yesterday, the Comptroller of the Royal House of Istana Negara, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said that His Majesty urged the people to remain calm and not to speculate, as the King’s main concern was the well-being of the rakyat in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
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