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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has entered a state of emergency. It will last until Aug. 1 or earlier, depending on the status of coronavirus infections, a palace statement said.
The king’s proclamation of the state of emergency on Tuesday morning (January 12) came amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, with the national total topping 138,000 and the healthcare system a breaking point.
On Monday, the government announced the tightening of COVID-19 restrictions, placing five states and three federal territories under the Movement Control Order (MCO) again for two weeks.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin emphasized in his live speech Tuesday morning that this state of emergency is not a military coup and no curfew will be applied.
The prime minister said that economic activities will continue to take place and that people will be able to continue working while business, commerce and industries can operate as usual, adhering to standard operating procedures.
READ: The King of Malaysia declares a state of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19
“For all stakeholders who are closely monitoring what is happening in Malaysia, I emphasize that Malaysia is open for business.
“As we face these challenging times, this period of emergency will give us much-needed calm and stability, and allow us to focus on economic recovery and regeneration. We remain committed to good governance in these times and we have a strong and dynamic regulatory ecosystem, ”said Muhyiddin.
This is what we know so far:
WHAT IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE CONTEXT OF MALAYSIA?
Article 150 (1) of the Constitution stipulates that if the King of Malaysia is convinced that there is a serious emergency, whereby the security or economic life or public order in the federation or any part of it is threatened , can issue an emergency proclamation.
The last time a state of emergency was invoked nationwide was in 1969 due to the May 13 riots. A curfew was declared and parliamentary rule was subsequently restored in February 1971.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has presented a great threat to people’s economic lives, justifying a state of emergency, Muhyiddin said in his speech on Tuesday.
During the period, parliament and state legislative assemblies will not meet until the king decides, he added.
Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (right) granted an audience to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on November 18, 2020 (Photo: Facebook / Istana Negara).
The prime minister assured the people that the state of emergency does not mean a military coup and there will be no curfew.
The cabinet and state executive councils will continue to function, the prime minister added.
“I assure you that the administrative and public service mechanisms of the federal and state governments will not be affected by this emergency declaration,” he added.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN DURING A STATE OF EMERGENCY?
To curb the spread of COVID-19, the king may proclaim various emergency ordinances on matters related to private hospital assets; temporary ownership of land, buildings or personal property of private hospitals; or to request to use the resources of private hospitals to treat patients, according to Muhyiddin.
The government may also seek more inclusive participation from the private sector, including private health facilities, to help ease the burden on government agencies, especially public hospitals, he added.
“Through this ordinance, the assistance that can be obtained from the private sector covers human resources, experience, facilities, assets, laboratories and public services,” he said.
READ: There will be no parliamentary session or election during COVID-19 state of emergency, says Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin
An ordinance may also be enacted to assign enforcement powers to the armed forces. In accordance with the proclamation of the state of emergency, border control will be strengthened by empowering military personnel to detain illegal immigrants and anyone who crosses national borders.
Additionally, the penalty for those who violate laws and regulations related to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic can be increased by enacting an ordinance to amend the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Act of 1988. This measure could improve effectiveness of the application, said Mr. Muhyiddin.
The king can also proclaim ordinances aimed at combating economic sabotage, monopoly, and excessive rise in the prices of goods, with stricter enforcement measures and more severe penalties.
WILL THERE BE ELECTIONS?
General, state and by-elections will not be held during the emergency, Muhyiddin said.
On some parties that urge general elections to be held, the prime minister said that it is not his intention not to call general elections.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the main problem preventing him from advising the king to dissolve parliament and pave the way for elections, he said.
An independent special committee will be established under an ordinance to advise the king whether a major emergency still occurs, in order to decide to continue the emergency period or end the proclamation before the designated date.
“I give a firm commitment that general elections will take place as soon as the independent special committee that is established certifies that the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided or has fully recovered and that the elections are safe to take place.
“When the time comes, it will be the people who choose which government is able to govern this country and take care of its well-being,” he said.
File photo of a healthcare worker at a Malaysian hospital amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo: Reuters / Lim Huey Teng)
Muhyiddin said that it is very important that politicians put aside their differences and show solidarity with the people.
He also assured that the judicial system will continue to function during the state of emergency.
“The judiciary will continue to be the beacon of justice in our country and I will never interfere in the affairs of the court,” he said.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MCO PROTOCOLS SO FAR
Five states, including Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will be under the MCO again from Wednesday to January 26.
Interstate travel is prohibited across the country, while interdistrict travel is not allowed for states under the MCO.
In his speech on Monday, Muhyiddin said that social activities such as wedding receptions, conferences, religious gatherings, seminars, courses and mass sports are not allowed.
Six other states – Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan – will be placed under the conditional MCO (CMCO), while Perlis and Sarawak are under the recovery MCO (RMCO).
For those under MCO, only two people per family can leave home to buy basic necessities and their movement is limited to a 10 km radius.
Restaurants and street vendors can only open for takeout in MCO states, while those in CMCO and RMCO states can operate in compliance with SOPs.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysian schools have imposed standard operating procedures to ensure physical distancing between students. (Photo: Bernama)
With the new school year scheduled to begin on January 20, the Ministry of Education has announced that only students who sit for the school’s main final exams will return to schools in the MCO areas.
For these states and territories, students in Elementary and Secondary 1-4 will continue to learn from home.
Educational institutions in the CMCO and RMCO states will operate according to their respective academic calendars, the ministry added.
Authorities are expected to announce more details about the implementation.
WHAT ARE THE PROTOCOLS FOR COMPANIES DURING MCO?
In a statement released on Tuesday in response to the reinstatement of the MCO, the Chief Minister of the Economy, Mohamed Azmin Ali, said that these five states and three federal territories are the main drivers of the country’s economic activities and the main contributors to the product. gross domestic (GDP).
In total, they represent 66.3 percent of total GDP, he said.
The government’s decision to allow five essential economic sectors (manufacturing, construction, services, commerce and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities) to operate in these places is to ensure the country’s economic recovery process, business sustainability and avoid high rates. unemployment. he said.
This will also ensure that people continue to have access to basic and critical needs, said Mr. Mohamed Azmin, who is also the Minister of International Trade and Industry.
Only 30 percent of the employees in the management group can enter the office, he added.
“The number of support personnel and employees directly involved in the production line will be determined by their respective employers, taking into account strict compliance with SOPs,” said the minister.
The Work from Home (WFH) address will also apply for jobs that do not require physical assistance.
“The government calls on industry and the private sector to improve the implementation of the WFH as a new standard, in line with the advancements of the latest technologies and online applications,” said the minister.
The minister said that the government’s proactive action will have a positive impact on the country’s economic growth, local and foreign investment flows, as well as the sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises.
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