Spell out why ‘emergency powers’ needed and not leave explanations to Agong, Muhyiddin told

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has yet to explain to Malaysians why his administration was allegedly seeking royal consent to govern the country using “emergency powers”, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today.

Despite copious reports about the matter, the Opposition lawmaker pointed out that the most salient information about the alleged plan has come from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

“Until today, Muhyiddin has not shared with Malaysians his plan to suspend Parliament and put Malaysia into a state of emergency and Malaysians have to rely on the rumour mills, which have worked overtime since Friday, and the social media to piece together as best as possible what was going on in high affairs of state.

“Most unusual and uncharacteristically, Malaysians are getting more information from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong than from the prime minister on the prime minister’s proposal,” he said in a statement.

Lim repeated today his objections to Muhyiddin’s alleged plan to invoke “emergency powers” and possibly suspend Parliament, and pointed out that he was not alone in this.

Among others, he noted that others expressing disagreement included those from Muhyiddin’s own ruling coalition.

The DAP leader also appeared to suggest a temporary truce to allow Muhyiddin time to develop a plan of action to ensure the continuity of the latter’s administration.

“I suggest Muhyiddin be given time until Budget Day on Nov 6 to determine whether it is possible to ensure political stability through the ‘confidence and supply’ proposal or other possible options so that there could be an ‘all-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ war against the Covid-19 epidemic led by the 222 MPs in Parliament.”

Undispelled rumours emerged on Wednesday that Muhyiddin would seek to invoke “emergency powers” to prop up his administration that was under challenge from Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, ostensibly to prevent a general election alongside Covid-19.

These rumours accelerated after Muhyddin rushed to meet the Agong in the Pahang palace on Friday, which led to a meeting of the Conference of Malay Rulers today.

Anwar was granted a royal audience with Al-Sultan Abdullah in which the former claimed to have gained the support of “over 120 MPs” to take over the government.

Muhyiddin was appointed as the prime minister in March after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned unprompted less than two years into his term.