KUALA LUMPUR – The prime minister’s latest statement on emergency ordinances sounds as if it “came from a lame-duck cabinet”, said Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
“Why was an (emergency) cabinet meeting on the matter not held earlier? Where were their priorities?” the former international trade minister told panellists in a Facebook Live session today.
She said the statement issued under the name “Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin” lacks consistency, too, in view of the recent directive for all government documents to bear the official spelling of his name, Mahiaddin Md Yasin.
“One day it is Mahiaddin, another day it is Muhyiddin, which is the official one now? If this is the inconsistency that he can show in a statement, how about government decisions and policies?”
Mere hours earlier, the government said it failed in its bid to revoke emergency ordinances as announced on July 26, and will now look to table the matter for debate when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes next month.
Muhyiddin said the revocation process by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as advised by the cabinet on July 23, could not be accomplished.
He did not elaborate further.
With the state of emergency expiring two days ago, he said, the issue of ordinances promulgated by the king no longer arises.
“As such, in line with the Agong’s decree and the provision of Article 150(3) of the federal constitution, a motion to debate and subsequently annul the emergency ordinances can be brought to Parliament, which is scheduled to sit in September.
“This motion, which will be deliberated on at the cabinet meeting tomorrow, is hoped to be able to address the polemic involving the revocation of the ordinances in a harmonious and constitutional manner.”
The announcement comes amid a brewing constitutional crisis between the government and Istana Negara over the revocation.
Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told the Dewan Rakyat on July 26 that all emergency ordinances had been revoked effective July 21 – taking parliamentarians by surprise and giving rise to the question on whether the move had secured the king’s assent.
In a statement by Istana Negara on Thursday, the Agong rebuked the government for going against his decree for the matter to be tabled and debated in the Dewan Rakyat.
His Majesty reprimanded the Muhyiddin-led administration for acting against the spirit of the constitution and misleading the House.
This means that provisions allowing for fines of up to RM10,000 for failing to adhere to government standard operating procedures, among other offences, are applicable until the ordinances are annulled. – The Vibes, August 3, 2021
