PETALING JAYA: De facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said the government will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on whether to extend the emergency proclamation beyond Aug 1.
He said the Cabinet will leave it to the King’s discretion to decide on the extension of the Emergency.
“The emergency proclamation was announced earlier this year based on the Cabinet’s advice in our efforts to fight Covid-19,” Takiyuddin said in a statement.
He also made reference to health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s statement in the media recently that several by-elections and the Sarawak state election need to be held after Aug 1 if the Emergency is not extended.
“The issue on whether the Emergency will lapse on Aug 1 or otherwise, as the sole prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, should not be raised,” Takiyuddin added.
Sultan Abdullah granted separate audiences to leaders of political parties to discuss the Emergency and measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic over the past week.
Among those who met the King were Pejuang’s Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, MCA president Wee Ka Siong, MIC president S Vigneswaran, Warisan president Shafie Apdal, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and PBS president Maximus Ongkili.
Zahid said Umno had proposed to the King not to extend the Emergency, while Lim said DAP informed him of the “failure” of the Perikatan Nasional-led government in handling the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mohamad said his conversation with the King focused on reopening Parliament.