Harapan MPs unhappy over emergency, differ in response strategy

Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is calling for a national conference to adopt a collective strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, even as reports emerge that Pakatan Harapan and other opposition lawmakers are considering appealing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to revoke last week's emergency declaration.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said the emergency should not be a reason for the premier to reject a special Parliament sitting to address the alarming Covid-19 situation.

"The proclamation of emergency last Tuesday is no bar for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to convene a special Parliament immediately, to authorise the convening of a national conference on an 'all-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' strategy and approach under the auspices of Parliament in the war against the pandemic," Kit Siang said in a statement today.

Claiming that the executive leadership of the country under Muhyiddin had brought the country to a critical crisis in the Covid-19 pandemic, he said that Malaysia was not learning from the best lessons and the worst mistakes of other nations.

Yesterday, 4,029 Covid-19 cases and eight deaths were reported bringing the cumulative total to 155,095 cases and 594 fatalities.

"This is why there must be an immediate special Parliament to save Malaysia from the Covid-19 pandemic where all political parties and MPs can sink their differences during the pandemic to the cause of winning the war against Covid-19 by convening a national conference," he added.

His son Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng took a slightly different tack, stating that DAP and other opposition parties would consider working with the independent committee to advise the Agong on emergency matters but only if the opposition were to be given equal weight in setting its direction.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Takiyuddin Hassan said yesterday that while he has written to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to request three candidates who will sit on the independent committee, he has yet to receive a response.

Guan Eng told the Malay Mail that the opposition parties would work on the committee but that they wanted more opposition lawmakers and experts as members and a council that was "generally more independent" from the executive.

He urged Muhyiddin to guarantee that any cooperation will be sincere and genuine and said that the prime minister should not try to exploit the opposition's goodwill to "legitimise" any unconstitutional decisions.

"We will accept (this) in good faith but on the strict condition that our inclusion will not be used to rubber-stamp any illegal or unconstitutional acts by Muhyiddin," said the DAP secretary-general.

Other MPs want emergency revoked

Meanwhile, other opposition MPs who have also been critical of the decision to enforce an emergency rule, say that they intend to appeal to the Agong to revoke the state of emergency next Monday.

The Malaysian Insight quoted a senior Amanah leader as saying that a joining appeal from Harapan would be submitted.

"I think it's important for us to note our concerns to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong directly," said the MP, adding that Harapan is not disputing the king's prerogative but hopes that His Majesty will reconsider the emergency order.

He added that the consensus was that the emergency ordinance proposed by Muhyiddin was unnecessary as existing laws are sufficient and it appeared to be a ploy to stay in power.

"The movement control order (MCO) that comes under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act is already very wide and worked well to contain Covid-19 last year.

"Harapan has always supported any reasonable steps taken to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

The portal reported that more than half a dozen MPs were keen to make a joint appeal.

The proposal has also met with the backing of Pejuang deputy president senator Marzuki Yahya.

"We have agreed to appeal to the king too as there are a lot of concerns on the impact of the emergency order on the economy. Pejuang expects to send it on Monday," he said.