KUALA LUMPUR – Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin should resign for defending the decision by the Perikatan Nasional government to revoke the emergency ordinances on July 21.
DAP Youth chief Howard Lee in a statement today criticised the Ampang MP for insisting that Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan did not make any mistake in announcing the revocation.
“She has betrayed her oath of office as an MP to preserve, protect and defend the country and her constitution.
“Instead, she chose to preserve, protect and defend the deceit and wrongdoing that her cabinet colleague and government have perpetrated.
On top of that, she insists that no wrong has been committed, he added.
“If she is so blinded and intoxicated by power to the point that she can’t see what is wrong with Takiyuddin and the government’s unilateral revocation of the state of emergency and its ordinances, she needs to resign.”
Zuraida had yesterday said “it was a waste of time to argue on this (revocation), when we know it will end up (with) something that is up to the government and cabinet to decide, and the monarch has to listen”.
“If the Yang di-Pertuan Agong needs the clarification, we (will) clarify with him to his satisfaction. So, that should be the way.”
She said this during an interview on Astro Awani’s “Consider This” segment titled “Constitutional Crisis Resolve?” hosted by anchors Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan yesterday.
The Pasir Pinji assemblyman slammed Zuraida, saying it is preposterous for a cabinet member to refer to the constitutional requirement of a royal assent as “time wasting” on live television.
“It is a gross affront to the constitution and His Majesty. It is bad enough that Parliament was deceived by the infamous ‘ministerial proclamation of revocation’, now she further insults our head of state with such an insolent assertion.
“If she and her colleagues want to preserve a shred of decency, honour and integrity, (she should) resign and take her colleagues in PN along with her.”
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had, in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, reprimanded Takiyuddin over his announcement on the emergency proclamation and its ordinances, saying it was “inaccurate” and had “misled lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat”.
Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin had in the statement said the revocation had yet to be given royal assent.
Later the same day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued a statement saying Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had presented the cabinet’s advice and clarification to the king during an audience on July 27.
It said the cabinet advised His Majesty to revoke the ordinances before the special sitting started.
The PMO also cited Article 40(1) of the federal constitution that the king must act according to the advice of the cabinet.
However, Muhyiddin in a statement today said the revocation process by the Agong, as advised by the cabinet on July 23, could not be accomplished.
He said the government will now look to table the matter for debate when Parliament reconvenes next month. – The Vibes, August 3, 2021
