KUALA LUMPUR – DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng will be questioned by police tomorrow in Penang over a Pakatan Harapan joint statement issued in January on the emergency proclamation.
His lawyer R.S.N. Rayer, who is also Jelutong MP, confirmed to Malaysiakini that the questioning will be done at the Timur Laut district police headquarters, but conducted by a team from Bukit Aman.
The joint statement was issued by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Lim on January 12.
Anwar was questioned on February 26.
In its statement, the PH presidential council said the suspension of Parliament and state assemblies at a time when the executive and judiciary can still function normally will disrupt the provision of checks and balances, inhibit national democracy and deny the voices of the people.
“This emergency means the prime minister has absolute power to do almost anything, arbitrarily.”
They also told Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin: “Do not hide behind Covid-19 and burden the people with a declaration of emergency in order to save yourself.”
The PH leaders rejected the rationale given by Muhyiddin that the emergency is needed to save the country from the pandemic.
“We are of the opinion that existing laws, including the movement control order announced yesterday, are sufficient to harness all resources and strengths to overcome the outbreak.”
The council said the emergency will affect efforts to revive the economy by hampering investor confidence, and will not help overcome the issues of unemployment and loss of income.
“Therefore, we are of the view that Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s action to declare an emergency at a time when he has lost the support of the majority of MPs, including Machang and Padang Rengas, means that this move is not acceptable at all.”
On the same day, Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz withdrew his support for Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government, making him the second Umno lawmaker to do so, days after Machang’s Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub did the same. – The Vibes, March 10, 2021
