Anwar slams Muhyiddin over emergency, says it doesn’t mean he’s safe

January 13, 2021

PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim this evening said Muhyiddin Yassin should have acted responsibly by resigning as prime minister instead of proposing to the King that a nationwide emergency be implemented.

The opposition leader criticised Muhyiddin for using Covid-19 as an excuse to push for an emergency in a bid to cling to power. More so, when movement control orders (MCOs) and travel restrictions would suffice in containing the spread of the virus, he said.

The PKR president said that by stepping down, Muhyiddin would have paved the way for the King to appoint someone else to the post.

“Instead, he took a shortcut, which was a desperate and irresponsible move, and proposed an emergency.

“But this is not the end of the move to get Muhyiddin to resign,” Anwar told reporters after chairing the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council meeting tonight.

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

Video player from: YouTube (Privacy Policy, Terms)

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

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

Asked if the emergency had ruined the opposition’s chances to form a new government, Anwar said it was wrong to make such an inference.

“We just cannot do it in the Dewan Rakyat. But there are no provisions to prevent us from obtaining the support and presenting it to the Agong.”