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KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – A crescent moon shone in the night sky as the convoy of vehicles carrying the prime minister and other government figures emerged from the Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan on Friday (October 23).
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s hearing with the king on Friday lasted nearly two hours amid feverish speculation that a state of emergency was about to be declared.
The expected announcement did not materialize, but opposition parties had begun firing at the government throughout the day.
There have been scant details about what the advance measure will involve, and many appear to have resorted to the latest emergency rule after the country’s 1969 race riots, which left scars on an entire generation.
The emergency order proposed this time has to do with the alarming escalation of Covid-19 that is affecting the health and well-being of people and harming the economy.
Malaysia would not be the first to take this path due to the pandemic. According to The Rakyat Post, the Center for Civil and Political Rights has identified 62 countries that have declared various degrees of emergency to cope with the pandemic.
Information from Friday’s special Cabinet meeting suggested that the emergency order under consideration would involve the suspension of Parliament and any possible elections during the emergency period.
It is also known that a national advisory council could be established made up of key government figures and members from both sides of the political divide.
However, the cabinet and the government would continue with the affairs of the government and administration.
If the emergency order is approved, it means that the national budget scheduled to be presented next month will not have to go through Parliament to be approved.
It also means that the Muhyiddin government will not have to face the test of numbers.
The proposed measure is bound to be perceived as authoritarian and undemocratic, especially if it affects the role of Parliament.
The government will need to communicate the need for such a drastic measure effectively and convincingly.
It will not be popular and there has already been a barrage of criticism.
The opposition is angry and jumping and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among the first to express his concern, calling the impending move an “abuse of power” and accusing the ruling coalition of being afraid to test its support in the Parliament.
Political commentator Azmi Omar, despite his positive opinion of Muhyiddin, called it an “exaggeration”.
“I know people are tired of the continuous politicking. They say less politics is better for tackling Covid-19. But going to an emergency is too drastic for me,” said Dr. Azmi.
However, former Kapar Umno division chief Faizal Abdullah said the move will lower the political temperature so the government can focus on addressing the health crisis and the economy.
“Our policy has been like a non-stop action thriller. That sort of thing is fine in a movie, but it’s bad for a country fighting the pandemic,” said Datuk Faizal.
Speculation that the Prime Minister was about to embark on something important began almost as soon as a circular was sent for ministers to attend a special Cabinet meeting on Friday morning.
The ministers knew that this would be a meeting like no other when they saw that among those invited to the meeting were the Chief of the Armed Forces, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.
It emerged that the Prime Minister insisted on listening to everyone around the table. Many questions were directed to Attorney General Idrus Harun and he had to explain the legal and constitutional implications of the proposed measure.
The meeting concluded with a general agreement for the Prime Minister to seek an audience to brief the King.
Some of the criticisms that have been leveled at Mr Muhyiddin were that his coalition is resorting to an emergency order to avoid a general election.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Muhyiddin is said to have set out to call early general elections after the Sabah elections.
However, it would be irresponsible to call early general elections with the increase in Covid-19 cases that has pushed health services in Sabah to the limit.
“I am disappointed that the government is taking this (emergency) path, but now I can see that Muhyiddin has been underestimated throughout his political career. He has this survival instinct,” said lawyer and columnist Ivanpal S. Grewal.
Muhyiddin has surpassed Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, pulled the rug from under Datuk Seri Anwar’s feet, and refused to bow to Umno’s threats.
Not many people know this, but he has been adamant in refusing to interfere in the cases of Umno leaders facing corruption charges in court.
Muhyiddin’s high approval rating in the early stage of his administration was due in large part to his handling of the pandemic and the economic measures put in place to ease the plight of the people.
But the fierce resurgence of the virus is affecting individuals and businesses and has undermined the image of his government.
His political fate and that of his administration depends on whether he will be able to successfully control the pandemic in the coming months.
But is the push for emergency the way to do it?
The Cabinet’s decision to go to an emergency appears to be on hold for a while longer as the nation holds its breath.
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