FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opined that the Government was adamant on holding on to power, which resulted in them annulling the Emergency Proclamation 10 days before the Parliament reconvened.
“If the Emergency succeeded on containing COVID-19, why the hurry to revoke the ordinances 10 days earlier, when cases breached the 17,000 mark with 200 deaths a day?
“Why create a controversy and constitutional crisis? The reason is because they want to stop any voting at Parliament out of fear that they may not have the majority anymore,” he said in a Facebook post.
Two days ago, Istana Negara offered a rare rebuke against the Government, calling the latter out for issuing a misleading statement at the Parliament over the six Emergency Ordinances (EO) enacted during the Emergency.
While Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told MPs that the EOs have been revoked on July 21, he offered no explanation whether the Agong had consented to it despite pressure from the Opposition.
However, the Agong later chided Takiyuddin, adding he had yet to consent to it and asserted that the application to revoke the EOs was “hastily made without presenting it in Parliament”.
“The contradictory and misleading statement in Parliament not only failed to respect the principle of the rule of law in the Rukun Negara, but also “disregarded His Majesty’s functions and powers as the head of state, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” Istana Negara said in a statement.
On that note, Najib said that if the Government has lost its majority, it means the administration has been “crippled” and would not be able to pass any laws in the future.
He added that it was worrisome as the Government would not be able to even pass the upcoming budget, as the administration was afraid to allow any Parliamentary vote.
“I guess Perikatan is willing to be a dysfunctional Government as long as they can retain power. Being crippled, a failure and disrespectful to the monarchy no longer matter,” the Pekan MP retorted. – July 31, 2021
