KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should resign instead of moving to declare a state of emergency across the country, said opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said the resignation is necessary as the prime minister no longer commands the majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Muhyiddin chose to protect his position of power after knowing that it had been eroded due to loss of support from parliamentarians, thus he chose to bring up an emergency,” Anwar was quoted by Malaysiakini’s Malay-language portal as telling reporters after attending the Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting at the PKR headquarters yesterday evening.
“Whereas, the handling of Covid-19 can be done via the movement control order (MCO), or conditional MCO, through additional measures and taking into account the views of medical and security experts.”
“But when he has failed (in handling Covid-19), he lost support, and as a prime minister who is of sound mind and responsible (Muhyiddin) should resign and the Agong has the prerogative to call a MP who is believed to have majority support of parliamentarians.”
Asked whether the opposition faces bigger hurdles in forming a government even if it has the majority, Anwar said this is not the case as the opposition can still seek an audience with the Agong to present the support of parliamentarians.
He alleged that normal parliamentary sittings have been obstructed because Muhyiddin is afraid to face the reality of losing power and support from MPs which would see the government collapse.
“There is no provision that prevents us from obtaining a majority and presenting it to the Agong,” Anwar added.
Following its meeting yesterday, Pakatan Harapan’s presidential council said that they were concerned that the emergency announced yesterday had given Muhyiddin absolute powers to act arbitrarily.
They also criticised the suspension of Parliament and state legislative assemblies at a time when the executive and the judiciary can still function normally.
In a joint statement signed by Anwar, who is PKR president, Amanah President Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, the council said the emergency will disrupt the functioning of checks-and-balances, inhibit national democracy and deny the voices of the people.
Muhyiddin yesterday explained the implementation of an emergency until August 1 or when Covid-19 is brought under control, following the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s consent on the matter.
The declaration came a day after he announced the MCO in five states and the Federal Territories which are most affected by Covid-19.
However, the Bersatu leader’s move on the emergency has received brickbats from various quarters who believe that he is doing so to avoid relinquishing power.
Also yesterday, Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz withdrew his support for Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government.
Nazri is the second Umno lawmaker to do so, following a similar announcement by Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub on Saturday.
Previously, Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, an Umno veteran, had also abstained from the Budget 2021 vote – which was widely seen as a de facto test of the Muhyiddin-led government’s leadership. – The Vibes, January 13, 2021
