KUALA LUMPUR – The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council has described the prime minister’s claim yesterday that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had been duly advised on the government’s decision to revoke all emergency ordinances as rude and arrogant.
In calling for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s immediate resignation, the council said a leader who is disloyal and has lost his good relationship with the king is unlikely to survive long in Putrajaya’s top seat.
In a statement, today, the council also similarly urged the cabinet, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun and Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun to step down for defying the Agong’s decree.
“PH presidential council condemns the statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) yesterday, which betrays (menderhakai) the constitutional monarchy system, in disputing the Agong’s decree.
“The Istana Negara statement earlier yesterday clearly stated that the Agong has not given his consent for the revocation (of the emergency ordinances), and that (Law Minister) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has confused the Dewan Rakyat.”
The council said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and the cabinet have also lost their legitimacy after losing the support of the majority MPs, while their credibility is also in tatters after failing to uphold the Agong’s degree for the emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament.
On the same note, the council said Idrus has failed to perform his official duties in providing legal advice to the king in an independent and impartial manner, without siding with the prime minister.
It also took aim at Azhar for continuing to defend the PN government by disallowing debates on the emergency ordinances.
“What is more disappointing is when the speaker and deputy speaker came up with various excuses to avoid the matter from being debated and decided in Parliament by adjourning the proceedings four times.
“This included the excuse that all in Parliament must undergo Covid-19 swab tests although there was no Parliament cluster,” said the statement, which was jointly signed by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah chief Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
On Monday, Takiyuddin had told the Dewan Rakyat that the government had retroactively revoked all emergency ordinances, sending the House into chaos as questions arose over whether the move had received the consent of the Agong.
In a statement yesterday morning, the Agong reprimanded Takiyuddin, saying the latter’s statement is “inaccurate” and had “misled lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat”.
The Istana Negara also said the application to revoke the ordinances was made hastily, had failed to respect the principle of the rule of law in the Rukun Negara and disregarded His Majesty’s functions and powers as the head of state.
Later in the evening, the PMO issued a statement claiming that the issue was already presented to the king during an audience on Tuesday, and therefore need not be debated.
Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail accused the government of treating the Agong like a “rubber stamp” by getting His Majesty to follow the cabinet’s decision blindly.
“I am very disappointed after reading the PMO statement which is not only rude and also disrespectful to His Majesty, but also has neglected His Majesty, who is a symbol of stability, peace and the protector of the federal constitution.
“Although Article 40(1) of the federal constitution clearly states that His Majesty must act on the advice of the cabinet, it is very wrong for us to treat His Majesty as a ‘rubber stamp’ for the cabinet or as a ‘yes-man’ who only follows all the instructions given by the cabinet, although they are clearly wrong,” he said in a statement. – The Vibes, July 30, 2021
