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KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need to declare a state of emergency in Malaysia at this time, King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said on Sunday (October 25), in response to suggestions made by the prime minister. Muhyiddin. Yassin on the COVID-19 situation.
In a statement issued by the palace, the Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said that the king “is of the opinion, that at this time, it is not necessary for His Majesty to implement a state of emergency in the country or any areas of the country “.
“Even so, His Majesty would like to remind politicians to immediately stop any policy that may disturb the stability of the government,” the statement said.
The statement added that the National Budget, which will be presented in Parliament in November, “is very important for people to face the COVID-19 pandemic and reactivate the country’s economy.”
“Therefore, the financial allocation is very necessary on the part of the front-line personnel to fulfill their duties and responsibilities.”
The announcement was made after the king met with other Malay rulers earlier in the day to discuss the suggestions put forward by Muhyiddin.
Article 150 of the Constitution stipulates that the King of Malaysia may issue an emergency proclamation, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, if he is convinced that there is a serious emergency where security, economic life or public order are threatened .
COVID-19 cases in Malaysia have now risen to more than 25,000, with a record daily increase of 1,228 new cases reported on Saturday.
On Friday, Muhyiddin had chaired a special cabinet meeting in Putrajaya. After that, he sought an audience with the king at the latter’s palace in Kuantan, Pahang.
The king said on Saturday that he would meet with the other Malaysian rulers to discuss the suggestions put forward by the prime minister.
A car is believed to be transporting Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arriving at Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan, Pahang on October 23, 2020 for an audience with King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. (Photo: Bernama)
Commenting on the king’s meeting with the other rulers, Ahmad Fadhil said: “After considering (the prime minister’s) request and discussing with the Malaysian rulers, and considering the situation in the country, Al-Sultan Abdullah felt that the current government has managed to deal with this pandemic adequately and effectively.
“His Majesty strongly believes in the ability of the government under the Prime Minister’s leadership to continue to implement policies and compliance actions to curb the symptoms of the COVID-19 epidemic so that they do not continue to spread.”
Rumors that Muhyiddin wanted to impose a state of emergency had led opposition leaders to condemn the proposal.
The leader of the opposition and president of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim, has said that the proposal would slow down the parliamentary process.
“Today we have a government that lacks legitimacy, and that knows that it would not be able to demonstrate majority support in parliament, and is using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to justify its abuse of power,” the opposition leader said in a statement. . on Friday.
Anwar, who leads the Pakatan Harapan (PH) bloc in parliament against the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government of Muhyiddin, also strongly recommended to the latter to consider the legacy of his actions.
The Malaysian parliament will meet again on November 2, and next year’s budget will be presented on November 6. Additionally, voting for the Batu Sapi by-elections in Sabah was set for December 5.
In March, the growing number of cases forced the government to institute a movement control order (MCO) at the national level to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
It was downgraded to a conditional MCO (CMCO) in early May and a recovery MCO in June when the number of cases began to drop, while the targeted enhanced MCO was applied in areas with local surges.
READ: Malaysian opposition politicians condemn possible emergency measures amid speculation
However, there has been a sharp increase in cases following the conclusion of the Sabah state elections as a result of an outbreak in a Lahad Datu dungeon. Currently, the states of Selangor and Sabah, and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya have been placed under CMCO again.
Meanwhile, the political drama has dragged on in the country, and Anwar claimed he had a convincing majority to take over the government.
On Wednesday, the United Malaya National Organization (UMNO), which is part of the Muhyiddin government, called for a “political ceasefire” to focus efforts on fighting the plague.
Previously, the party had been campaigning for a fairer redistribution of government posts and ministerial posts, as it has the largest number of members of Parliament in the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
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