The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0), Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) and Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) are shocked by the sudden announcement by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin [yesterday] that he had advised the Agong to declare a national emergency to curb the surge in Covid cases in the country.
We are extremely concerned with the ramifications of such a declaration would have on the efforts to recover our ailing economy.
Muhyiddin said that this was not a military takeover and no curfews would be imposed, and that government and private businesses would go on as usual.
The current standard operating procedure and restrictions under the movement control order, as announced [two days ago], still apply. He said the only purpose for the emergency was to combat the spread of the coronavirus that has seen a surge in the past few months without abatement.
However, the major curtailment of this emergency is the suspension of Parliament and state assembly sittings and all forms of elections until the Covid situation is brought under control.
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A special independent committee will be set up to advise the Agong on when it would be safe to lift the emergency. While it has been declared that the duration of the emergency is until 1 August 2021, it could be lifted earlier if the situation is under control, or it could be extended if needed.
We question the need to suspend Parliament and elections when all else seems to remain as the status quo under the terms of this emergency. It is our view that elections that are mandatory – like a general election or a state election that is due after a full term, or a by-election to fill a vacancy – can and should be held under strict pandemic standard operating procedure, and the use of remote or digital voting means should be deployed to mitigate the risk of infections.
However, the calling of discretionary elections or snap polls mid-term should be avoided in view of the pandemic.
The loss of majority of a government does not automatically trigger an election as it is the discretion of the Agong or state YDP as to whether to hold a snap election or to allow another member of the house to form a new government. Such discretion should be exercised by the Agong and no politician can take this discretion away from His Majesty.
Since mandatory elections can be conducted safely, as demonstrated by many countries, and the Agong has discretion not to dissolve Parliament mid-term, the suspension of elections with an emergency declaration is unjustified. If this is indeed to prevent elections, then the discretionary royal power to withhold consent to the PM’s request for dissolution is effectively removed.
Furthermore, the law does not mandate that a minority government cannot continue to function. The government could always negotiate confidence and supply agreements with the opposition to continue until the general election when it is due.
Such multipartisan arrangements would bode well for politics in this country, as apart from budgetary decisions, parliamentary and other political reforms could be agreed upon.
As such, could it be that the true reason for this emergency is to suspend parliamentary democracy and disable the scrutiny of Parliament on the government, or more likely – given the ongoing schism within the Perikatan Nasional, with Umno threatening to pull out of the coalition – an attempt to halt the collapse of the Muhyiddin government.
If this is the true underlying reason, the declaration of a national emergency is not only an overkill but an abuse of executive power that places the country at great peril in the midst of the worst health and economic crisis this country has ever faced.
We also question the capability of the Muhyiddin government in handling the pandemic and economic crisis when its legitimacy as the ruling government is being challenged almost every day, not only by the opposition but also from within the government composition itself. So far, it has have shown its inability to manage the situation as compared to other countries in the region.
We call on all political parties to prioritise the national interest at this critical juncture and put aside political machinations to grab power.
All efforts should be made to combat Covid, rebuild the economy and to bring about substantial political reforms that will bring about sustainable stability and level the playing field for all parties.
Bersih 2.0, Abim, Ikram, KLSCAH and GBM
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
“We call on all political parties to prioritise the national interest at this critical juncture and put aside political machinations to grab power.” I am a bit confused. Looking at Muhyiddin’s emergency[ note the small ‘e’] from this angle, it is not so bad as he is prioritising national interests by suspending Parliament?
Of course, we know otherwise – he has lost his wafer-thin majority in Parliament and he is desperately clinging to power.
No, Parliamentary democracy is not the cause of the covid 19 surge in our country but it is the result of the nation’s small ‘e’ emergency – for Muhyiddin is running away from facing his political opponents using it.