Kuala Lumpur January 17 –PAKATAN Harapan (PH) and Pejuang lawmakers will appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to revoke the state of emergency next Monday, several MPs told The Malaysian Insight.
“We will submit a joint appeal from PH,” said a senior Amanah leader, who declined to be named.
“I think it’s important for us to note our concerns to Yang di-Pertuan Agong directly.”
He said PH is not disputing the king’s prerogative but hopes that Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will reconsider the emergency order.
Echoing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s statement last week, he said PH feels the emergency order proposed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was unnecessary as existing laws are sufficient.
“The movement-control order (MCO) that comes under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act is already very wide and worked well to contain Covid-19 last year.
“Furthermore, PH has always supported any reasonable steps taken to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. So, the necessity for an emergency for Covid-19 shouldn’t arise at all,” he said.
On the PKR and DAP side, more than half a dozen MPs told The Malaysian Insight that they were also agreeable to the suggestion made by Anwar last week.
“But we won’t be appealing in our personal capacity but as a joint body under PH,” said one MP from PKR.
When asked when the appeal would be sent, the MP said that the appeal will most likely be sent on Monday.
Pejuang deputy president Senator Marzuki Yahya said his party will also appeal to the king to revoke the emergency order.
“We have agreed to appeal to the king too as there are a lot of concerns on the impact of the emergency order on the economy,” Marzuki told The Malaysian Insight.
“Pejuang expects to send it on Monday,” said the former deputy foreign affairs minister.
PH consists of 91 MPs while Pejuang has 4 MPs.
Warisan, which has 9 MPs, however, appears to be undecided on the issue.
One Warisan MP told The Malaysian Insight that they had not received any directions from party president Mohd Shafie Apdal.
“I’m agreeable to this but we are waiting for further instructions,” said the Sabah lawmaker.
On Thursday, PKR president Anwar urged PH MPs to appeal to the king to lift the emergency, which was announced on January 12 and is scheduled to end on August 1.
A day after the emergency was announced, Muhyiddin said it was not a coupalthough Parliament, the federal constitution and elections are suspended.
The 72-year-old said the emergency gives his government more powers to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control, just less than a day after announcing more lockdowns for the country.
Muhyiddin made the announcement just hours before the second Umno MP, Nazri Aziz (Padang Rengas), withdrew his support for the Bersatu president.
On January 9, Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub surprised the country when he announced that he was withdrawing his support from Muhyiddin.
Muhyiddin, who is the Pagoh MP, now heads the Perikatan Nasional minority government with just 110 MPs in the 222-MP Dewan Rakyat. (The Malaysian Insight)
