KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will discuss with the other Malay rulers on the suggestions he received from the Cabinet yesterday according to a statement issued by Istana Negara.
In a statement today, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the King has advised the public remain calm, not to panic and be patient while awaiting a decision on the proposal made by the prime minister.
“The rakyat is also advised not to make any speculations that could cause confusion and distress, as well as disrupting the peace of the country that we love,” he said.
Ahmad Fadil added that in light of the continuing rise of Covid-19 positive cases, the King urged the rakyat to continue to play their part in adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the new normals to help combat the virus and ensure the safety of the society.
“The King has also invited all to pray together with him for Malaysia to always be blessed and be protected from all threats of the Covid-19 virus and that the virus can be eliminated effectively and immediately,” he said.
According to the comptroller, Muhyiddin had an audience with the King at 5pm in Istana Abdul Aziz in Kuantan yesterday, where the prime minister presented several suggestions that came from yesterday morning's cabinet meeting.
The statement, however, did not give any details on the suggestions or if a proclamation of emergency was part of the suggestions as heavily speculated
He also noted that the audience was requested by the prime minister following the special Cabinet meeting.
Media reports yesterday suggested that the meeting was to discuss several proposals on dealing with the upcoming Budget 2021 tabling next month while the country is grappling with a third wave of Covid-19 infections and challenges to the legitimacy of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government helmed by Muhyiddin.
One of the options was purportedly for the government to declare an “economic emergency”, to thwart the possibility of snap polls being forced and to provide more time for the ruling PN to battle Covid-19 without being distracted by political instability.
* Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's name but the error has since been corrected.
