KUALA LUMPUR – Those who mooted the National Operations Council (Mageran) to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic were merely taking advantage of the situation to regain power, said opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said this is because this could prolong the state of emergency and stifle the nation’s democratic practices.
His remarks came after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed the idea to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last week during the series of high-level meetings between the palace and political leaders.
“There are people who are now trying to take advantage (of the situation). This is an effort to return to power using the emergency laws. There is no reason for Malaysia to continue the emergency,” said Anwar.
The Port Dickson MP said this during a special live stream session on Facebook and Zoom discussing strategies to lead the country into a post-Covid-19 world and revive its economy.
Anwar suggested it is important for the government to uphold democracy by reconvening Parliament, which allowed the people’s representatives to field questions about the government's efforts to combat Covid-19.
He added that as a politician, he is not willing to take power through undemocratic means.
“I am also not ready to lead the country without the mandate and support of the rakyat. There is no reason for me to turn my back on other parliamentarians who want an end to the emergency.”
Anwar said the current emergency implemented under the Perikatan Nasional government has failed to address the country’s Covid-19 situation.
He added that it is “clear” that the emergency is to protect the positions of those in government and not the people.
“This emergency will bring disaster as it cannot be compared to the emergency in 1969. If we have an emergency now, and assuming that we can tackle the spread of Covid-19, we still cannot gain investors because the emergency will erode their confidence.
“There is no reasonable explanation for an emergency. This emergency is tasteless and disappointing and only used to protect the political position of an individual.” – The Vibes, June 15, 2021
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