No Decision Yet On When Emergency Should End

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The special committee has not come to any decision regarding the extension or termination of the Emergency.PETALING JAYA: The special emergency committee has yet to decide when the Emergency should end, revealed the trio of opposition MPs in the committee.
“To date, the committee has not finalised any decision regarding the extension or termination of the Emergency to be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah,” said the trio in a statement.
The statement was signed by Kulim-Bandar Bharu MP Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PKR), Seremban MP Loke Siew Fook (DAP) and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad (Amanah).
The committee was formed in February and is tasked with advising the King on the Covid-19 situation and on when the Emergency should end. It is scheduled to last until Aug 1 or an earlier date if Covid-19 cases are reduced and stabilised.
The trio’s statement comes a day after the committee’s chairman, Arifin Zakaria, was granted an audience with the King.
The MPs said there was no need for an Emergency to be implemented as they felt that stricter implementation of the movement control order (MCO) was the “best method” in battling the spread of Covid-19.
They added that Parliament should be allowed to reconvene immediately as a check-and-balance mechanism to the government in accordance with the principle of parliamentary democracy as practised in Malaysia.
Separately, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged Parliament to reopen as soon as possible as all MPs have been vaccinated.
Commenting on the national recovery plan outlined by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, Lim said it was designed to prevent the immediate reconvening of Parliament – especially after the King had said in February that the Emergency does not prevent Parliament from meeting.
“There are currently no new Covid-19 cases among MPs, not a single MP is receiving treatment in the ICU, and all MPs have been vaccinated. So what is stopping Parliament from reconvening immediately?” asked Lim in a statement.
“Clearly, Muhyiddin cannot risk a parliamentary meeting that will only expose the loss of his parliamentary majority, whether in the form of defeat of government motions or bills.
“This is not a national recovery plan for Covid-19 but a national political ploy to prevent an immediate reconvening of Parliament.”
In yesterday’s national address, Muhyiddin said Parliament would only open in the third phase of the national recovery plan, which is expected to be in September or October. - FMT

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