KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The retention of the status quo will be meaningless if the people, particularly politicians, do not respond positively, said Alliance For Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He said this followed the decision by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Malay Rulers that there will be no declaration of emergency and the status quo remains.

He said the King had shown the way and it is now for the people to respond positively.

"This is not the time to try to win brownie points. Instead, this is the time for all the rakyat, the business community and the politicians to put our shoulders to the wheel to address the multifarious challenges facing the nation,” he said in a statement here today.

Lee also said this is the time for solidarity and for singleness of purpose to ensure the nation’s stability as the country is now facing many problems to tackle, all at the same time.

The King decreed yesterday that there was no need to declare an emergency in the country.

Al-Sultan Abdullah decreed that the matter was decided after carefully considering the request put forth by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and discussions with the Malay rulers, besides looking at the current situation in the country. — Bernama