Kit Siang: King should ask judiciary whether Federal Constitution allows emergency proclamation, Parliament suspension

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 24): Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah should ask Malaysia’s judiciary for its opinion as to whether Article 150 of the Federal Constitution allows the proclamation of emergency and suspension of Parliament as the country contends with political uncertainties and the Covid-19 pandemic, veteran politician Lim Kit Siang (pictured) said today.

In a statement, Lim, who is also DAP Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, questioned the need to suspend Parliament in a proclamation of emergency to fight the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"Did the Cabinet present to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the option of a proclamation of emergency without suspension of Parliament? And will Malaysia proclaim an emergency every time there is a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic?

"Is the proclamation of emergency going to be confined to Sabah? Has the government lost control of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kedah, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Perak and Negeri Sembilan as to justify the proclamation of emergency under Article 150 of the (Federal) Constitution for these states?

"Yes, there is a need for more effective action against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and what is urgently needed is to forge an 'all-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' campaign against the third wave of the Covid-19 epidemic. Will the proclamation of emergency and the suspension of Parliament forge such an 'all-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' approach?” he said.

For now, it was reported that the situation in the country remains unclear amid widespread speculations of the government declaring a state of emergency because no official media statement has been made after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief of Defence Force Tan Sri Affendi Buang left for Pahang yesterday to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

It was reported that it started with the special Cabinet meeting held at 9:30am yesterday at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya. It was reported that Affendi had also attended the Cabinet meeting, which was held two days after the weekly Wednesday Cabinet meeting.

"All Cabinet ministers were generally tight-lipped about what transpired during the two-hour special meeting.

"At 4:40pm (yesterday), Muhyiddin was seen entering Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan for an audience with the King and only left the palace at 7:10pm.

"At press time, there was still no official media statement made either by Istana Negara or the Prime Minister’s Office, leaving the public in the dark and media outlets continued with their speculations and theories,” Bernama reported.

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