“After that, it’s up to the people to choose which government deserves to govern the country,” he said in a televised announcement on the emergency today.

Muhyiddin also maintained that the judiciary will continue to function during the emergency.

“The judiciary will continue to be a beacon of justice in our country. I would never interfere in the business of the judiciary,” he said.

He said any form of elections cannot be held during the emergency, whether it was a general, state or by-election.

“The main thing hindering me from advising the Agong to dissolve Parliament and to call for a snap election is the pandemic.

“It’s my responsibility as the head of the government to take care of the people’s health and to protect them from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Umno has been pressuring the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to make way for a snap election since the new year, with Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub most recently withdrawing his support for Muhyiddin.

His decision meant that the PN government only has 111 MPs in its bloc in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

Meanwhile, during their annual general meeting earlier this month, 143 of the 191 Umno divisions called for the party to withdraw its cooperation with PPBM.

The Umno Supreme Council has deferred any decision on the party’s support for PPBM to its annual general assembly at the end of this month, which might not be held should the movement control order be extended beyond Jan 26.

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