KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat has approved the motion to repeal seven emergency ordinances today.
The motion covers the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021; Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021; Emergency (Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021; and Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021.
It also includes the Emergency (Essential Powers) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021; Emergency (Offenders Compulsory Attendance) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021; and the Emergency (National Trust Fund) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
The motion, tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, was approved by a majority voice vote after being debated by 18 members of the Dewan Rakyat.
Wan Junaidi, when winding up the debate on the motion, said that without the proclamation of emergency, which was implemented from January to August, the government would have faced difficulties in taking necessary actions to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, which was then entering a critical stage.
“The government had implemented what was thought as the best measure at the time to curb the spread of the virus. The government is of the view that if the proclamation of emergency was not made, the situation was expected to have become worse... we cannot predict the situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, responding to an interjection by Ahmad Hassan (Warisan-Papar) on whether the by-election for Bugaya state constituency could be held following the Melaka state election, Wan Junaidi said that he had already brought the matter to the cabinet meeting last week.
On December 16 last year, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah made a proclamation of emergency for the Gerik parliamentary constituency in Perak and the Bugaya state constituency in Sabah, in effect cancelling the by-elections for both seats.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama, October 25, 2021
