KUCHING – Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii had this to say when asked for his comments on the emergency declaration yesterday.
“How did this come about? Was this a unilateral decision by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin? Was the Sarawak government, which is on the cusp of hosting its 12th state elections, consulted first?”
He said the declaration of a nationwide emergency basically runs counter to the principle that it is the chief minister’s prerogative to dissolve the state assembly in preparation for an election.
Yii pointed out that such a declaration has far-reaching consequences, such as encroaching into the powers of the state government, which includes halting of state assembly sittings.
“This was the same ploy he (Muhyiddin) used in asserting his power as prime minister to push for an emergency declaration to suspend Parliament recently.”
He said while it is not advisable to hold an election during this time of rising Covid-19 infections, the Election Commission could have rolled out reforms to provide a safer election process, including postal voting for Sarawakians living outside the state and those in high-risk populations residing in the state.
“However, this overreaching step was taken to declare an emergency. This is going to cause a lot of economic uncertainties, loss of investor confidence and risk further encroachment of state rights by the federal government. All this under the guise of a health emergency,” he told The Vibes.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan, meanwhile, said the party does not dispute the powers of the king to declare any emergency in accordance with powers given in the federal constitution, but the declaration of emergency still came as a shock to many Sarawakians.
He said the emergency is deemed unnecessary to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak in Sarawak, adding that it appears the king did not consult the state government before making such a declaration.
“There is no grave emergency that threatens the security, economy and public order in Sarawak. This state is peaceful, and although Covid-19 is serious, it is not necessary to impose an emergency in Sarawak.
“A lockdown is sufficient to tackle all problems in the fight against this pandemic.
“As far as Sarawak is concerned, government spending to curb Covid-19, unlike in West Malaysia, will not jeopardise or affect political developments in the state.
“Sarawak need not wait for funds from the federal government to fight this virus, as with its huge reserves, Sarawak is able to tackle the fight without waiting for federal funds.”
He said many Sarawakians fear the emergency could merely be a way to prolong the present Sarawak legislature and current Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
According to him, this will be undemocratic, as Sarawakians are waiting to decide the fate of the current GPS government, and the fate of the state within the federation of Malaysia.
Right decision
Political observer Peter Minos, meanwhile, said the prime minister made the correct decision to push for an emergency, in view of surging Covid-19 infections in the country.
“I guess Umno members, too, have been putting too much pressure on the prime minister by threatening to quit the coalition.
“Right now, Muhyiddin’s hands are full. He needs peace of mind and the mandate to stay on as the prime minister to handle the Covid-19 pandemic effectively and without losing focus to put the economy in order.
“Declaring a state of emergency is the best option now for the prime minister to concentrate his thoughts and energy to make things right in the country.”
Better safe than sorry
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak president Bobby William also welcomed the emergency declaration by the king yesterday.
“Of course an emergency declaration will always scare off investors, but we are in the climate of a global pandemic. It is better to be safe than sorry. It will also be good for the government and opposition to work together for the common good of the citizens.”
Parti Aspirasi Sarawak president Lina Soo is urging Sarawakians to remain calm and not panic, as the Covid-19 wave sweeps across the nation.
“It is the wisdom of the Agong to take measures to combat the virus by declaring a nationwide emergency. Lives of Malaysians are at a big risk.
“In fact, many other Western democracies, including in Europe, had declared an emergency to stop the virus’s rampage across the globe.
“The greatest effect of the emergency is to stop all politicking, while the experts and prime minister find space to figure out ways on how best to manage the pandemic. Let us stop the spread of Covid-19 first.
"Political squabbling and demanding a change of government during the height of a public health crisis is the lowest form of politics, which not only serve politicians’ and party interests, but put the people’s lives at risk.”
She said politics must save lives and reminded all politicians to place peoples’ lives and safety above party politics.
According to her, the current health crisis can be curbed within half a year with stringent measures, vaccine for herd immunity and the cooperation of the public.
“We can surely wait for a few months until the pandemic crisis has ebbed. It will not be too late then, but lives would have been saved.”
Emergency period too long
Bukit Assek MP Irene Chang said while this is an economic emergency and not a military one, the duration of the emergency is still questionable.
“If it is just to tackle the pandemic, surely we don’t need such a long time. China had brought the pandemic under control within three to four months. Do we need such a long time? There are so many ways to tackle Covid-19 transmissions.”
She said how the emergency takes shape will depend on what the executive at the federal level decides to do during the emergency, since it is now clear that normal political processes have been suspended.
“Laws and expenditure will be approved directly by the executive. Coupled with the long period declared, this is worrying as there shall be no proper checks and balances through Parliament.
“It is worrying how the prime minister may now make ordinances that can affect our fundamental rights as provided under the federal constitution. Rights like the right to speech, right to expression, right to personal liberty and others.”
She said since Parliament will not be sitting for the foreseeable future, there will not be any of these usual checks and balances by opposition MPs.
“This worrying; where will all this lead to?
“However, the government proposal, as mentioned by the king, is to set up an independent committee comprising government and opposition MPs, as well as health experts, to manage the Covid-19 pandemic – that does not need a state of emergency."
She said as for Sarawak, at least it is assuring that through this emergency proclamation, Sarawak will not be able to hold the state election earlier than August 1, unless the state of emergency is lifted before that.
“This should stop certain ministers from the ruling coalition from harping that the state election should be held despite the pandemic, but rather focus in getting our state and country to recover from the pandemic.
“I also hope that Sarawak will set up an independent committee comprising elected representatives from both the government and opposition parties to handle the pandemic situation in the state. This is to unite all efforts to fight against the common enemy, which is the virus.”
On another note, she expressed strong doubts that the emergency was called purely to tackle Covid-19.
“There is no such necessity and it will not benefit the people,” she added. – The Vibes, January 13, 2021
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