KUALA LUMPUR – Lauding the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Conference of Rulers’ call to reconvene Parliament as soon as possible, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to heed that call or resign from his post.
“If the PM continues to delay or give excuses to delay the parliamentary session, it not only means he has set aside the views of the king, it also gives the impression that he has lost confidence to govern.
“And if the PM persists in refusing to advise Tuanku (to open Parliament) immediately, he must take honourable action and resign,” said the presidential council in a statement.
The PH presidential council comprises PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and DAP president Lim Guan Eng.
Following high-level meetings with state rulers, top civil servants, and party heads, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had yesterday said Parliament must reconvene as soon as possible.
In a statement from the palace yesterday, the king said this will allow lawmakers to debate emergency ordinances and the National Recovery Plan.
The king also expressed hope that the Covid-19 curve will be flattened soon and the national immunisation programme will be an exit strategy for the pandemic.
The statement issued by Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said that the king is highly aware of Parliament’s role as an important platform for representatives to discuss various issues, especially Covid-19.
“The members of the Dewan Rakyat can discuss the government’s allocation to help people facing difficulties and restore the country’s economy,” it said.
The statement comes after a special Conference of Rulers meeting discussed the Covid-19 situation plaguing the country at Istana Negara yesterday.
The Conference of Rulers was of the opinion that the state of emergency should not be extended beyond August 1.
Istana Negara had said in a statement yesterday that this was among the issues on which the rulers agreed.
The statement issued by the Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad also stated that the rulers said the rising political “temperature” must be cooled.
“It is important that a government is stable, and has the confidence and support from the majority of the people,” Syed Danial’s statement read. – The Vibes, June 17, 2021
