KUALA LUMPUR – Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has reiterated the stance made by the Umno Supreme Council yesterday that Parliament must reconvene to ensure there are proper checks and balances.
Shahril in a press statement today said the plan to return the mandate to the people once the Covid-19 threat is over, as promised by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, faces a stumbling block as Parliament is suspended under emergency laws.
“This (calling for an election) is interrupted as long as Parliament is shut down. The emergency has become an obstacle for the process of checks and balances.
“Let’s not even talk about the legitimacy of Perikatan Nasional’s majority when there are no (Parliament) meetings.
“Let’s not even talk about approving funds when there are no (Parliament) meetings.
“If there is an argument that holding an election will be the way out of this political quagmire, we can’t do that as long as Parliament has not reconvened and emergency laws are being used.”
Any involvement of Umno ministers with the PN administration will be decided on the spirit of discussion, he added, saying that he is confident lawmakers will adhere to party decisions.
According to Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, the Umno Supreme Council said the government can’t be seen to be castrating Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy.
In response, Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had parroted PN’s stance on the matter, and gave the weak excuse that Parliament cannot sit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also gave the allusion that there is a possibility that Muhyiddin’s administration may extend the emergency after it is supposed to end on August 1.
“The government guarantees that Parliament will be quickly called when the time is right, before or after it ends on August 1.
“However, this depends on the advice and views of experts obtained by the government, especially from the Health Ministry and National Security Council.” – The Vibes, April 26, 2021
