KUALA LUMPUR – Former chief justice Tun Arifin Zakaria has been appointed to lead an independent committee tasked with advising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the current state of emergency, following Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s consent.
The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement today, announced that 19 individuals, comprising former civil servants, academics, health experts, and MPs from both sides of the divide, were appointed under Section 2 of the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) 2021.
The committee will advise the king on how long the emergency, imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19, is to be in force.
“The National Security Council and Prime Minister’s Department will act as the secretariat of this committee,” said PMO.
The committee members are as follows:
1. Tun Arifin Zakaria, former chief justice (chairman)
2. Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, former chief secretary to the government
3. Tan Sri Norian Mai, former inspector-general of police
4. Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, former chief of the defence forces
5. Prof Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif, former health director-general
6. Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang, cardiologist
7. Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap, Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia president
8. Tan Sri R. Palan, Universiti Cyberjaya pro-chancellor
9. Datuk Sallehuddin Saidin, former deputy public prosecutor
10. Prof Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, Perlis mufti
11. Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Kiyu Dawi Usop, public health expert
12. Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman, former Sabah secretary
13. Tan Sri Noh Omar, Tg Karang MP
14. Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, Batang Lupar MP
15. Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, Beaufort MP
16. Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh, Pasir Puteh MP
17. Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP
18. Anthony Loke, Seremban MP
19. Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Kuala Selangor MP
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on January 12 announced that the committee would be set up to advise the king.
The emergency is scheduled to be in place until August 1, or earlier if Covid-19 is contained. – The Vibes, February 9, 2021
