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Malaysia declares virus emergency and suspends parliament
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Malaysia’s king declared a
nationwide state of emergency Tuesday to fight a coronavirus surge and
parliament was suspended, with critics charging it was a bid by the unstable
government to cling to power.
The surprise move came a day after the prime minister announced sweeping
new curbs across much of the Southeast Asian nation, including the closure of
most businesses, and warned the health system was “at breaking point”.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah agreed to declare an emergency until
August 1 following a request from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the
national palace said in a statement.
It is the first time Malaysia has declared a national state of emergency
in over half a century and Muhyiddin, in a televised address, confirmed
parliament would be suspended and elections would not take place for the time
being. But the leader, whose 10-month-old administration is showing signs of
falling apart, insisted that “the civilian government will continue to
function”.
“The emergency declaration… is not a military coup and a curfew will not
be enforced,” he said.
He insisted he was committed to holding a general election once the
country’s outbreak is brought under control.
The announcement came after Muhyiddin’s key coalition allies started
withdrawing support, which could have led to the collapse of the government
and snap national polls that some feared could worsen the outbreak.
Muhyiddin has narrowly survived a series of challenges in parliament since
taking office but is now thought to have lost his majority.
Malaysia kept the virus in check for much of last year with a tough
lockdown but, once curbs were eased, cases accelerated and have repeatedly
hit fresh records in recent days.
As well as suspending political life, the declaration gives the government
powers to take over private hospitals as government facilities become
overwhelmed, and get extra help from the military and police, Muhyiddin said.
The emergency could be lifted earlier if the rate of infection slows. The
country has reported more than 138,000 virus cases and 555 deaths.
– Parliament’s role ‘critical’ –
An election in the state of Sabah last year has been blamed for triggering
a new wave of infections that spread nationwide.
But opposition lawmakers lashed out at the move, saying the partial
lockdown announced earlier this week was enough to tackle the virus.
The emergency declaration “is to extend Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s
political life given that he has lost his parliamentary majority,” said
Charles Santiago, a lawmaker from the Democratic Action Party.
“The role of parliament is critical at this time in order to ensure
transparency, human rights, and democracy in the affairs of the state.”
The Kuala Lumpur stock market slid 0.45 percent after the state of
emergency was announced.
Muhyiddin first tried to persuade the king to declare an emergency in
October but was rebuffed. The last time an emergency was declared nationally
was in 1969, in response to deadly racial riots.
Malaysia has been in political turmoil since March last year when
Muhyiddin came to power without an election following then prime minister
Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation and the collapse of his reformist
administration.
Mahathir, 95, led an opposition alliance to a historic victory at landmark
polls in 2018 and toppled a corruption-riddled coalition that had governed
the country for six decades.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1558 hrs