Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim extended an invitation to Mohd Zuki Ali to attend the meeting, scheduled to be held soon.

“If he says can, then maybe the regulations have changed,” Anwar said in his Facebook live.

However, Anwar said by right the chief secretary, representing the government, must not attend a political meeting, only government meetings.

“I advise the chief secretary who represents the civil service that, even when directed by the prime minister, he needs to explain that it is not in line with regulations of civil service to attend a PN meeting,” said Anwar.

He further advised Zuki to upkeep the image of the civil service by being neutral.

Anwar was responding to a meeting chaired by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the prime minister, which was attended by the heads of PPBM, Umno, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, MCA, MIC, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Progressive Democratic Party, Parti Bersatu Sabah, STAR and Sabah Progressive Party.

Muhyiddin said the presidents were given a briefing about the Emergency Ordinance by de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan. Deputy director-general of health, Dr Norhizan Ismail and the chief secretary also addressed the meeting.

In a statement earlier, Anwar has also criticised the government for its planned total lockdown if the Covid-19 number fail to come down.

“On behalf of thousands of business owners who have voiced their frustrations to me during the last few months, and with a government comprising 72 ministers (and deputy ministers) operating in an emergency state, what is going on that prevents these people from accomplishing the basic, minimum number of tasks expected to contain the pandemic?” he asked.