In a televised announcement on the emergency this morning, Muhyiddin also said this was not a military coup.

Earlier today, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, declared a state of emergency to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The Palace said the King consented for the emergency to last until Aug 1, or an earlier date if Covid-19 cases are reduced by then, following a meeting with Muhyiddin yesterday evening.

Muhyiddin said there will be no parliamentary or state assembly meetings until a later date set by the Agong, while the general election, state elections and by-elections also cannot be held during the emergency.

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

He said that aside from the spike in Covid-19 cases, the nation has been afflicted by massive floods with states like Pahang, Johor and Kelantan among the worst hit.

The government needs to be accorded the necessary powers to ensure that the pandemic can be curbed, he said, adding that the King was satisfied with the need to declare an emergency.

Muhyiddin said the nation’s borders will be tightened, and the army given the power to assist police and the Immigration Department in detaining undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country illegally.

He also said the emergency ordinance allows the government to amend the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1998 (Act 342) to impose heavier penalties on those found breaching SOPs.

“All the ordinances proclaimed will be gazetted and made available to the public,” he said.

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